A Difference in the Making
by C-loke
Summary: Yaoi: Naruto/Neji...pairing. An AU story about Naruto being raised outside Konoha's influence. There are OC in my story.
1. A Determined Beginning

An AU story about Naruto being raised outside Konoha's influence; when he does return to the Leaf Village, he meets everyone. And this is where he also meets Neji. There are OC in my story.

Pairing: A Naruto/Neji pairing, other brief Naruto pairings before the main pair takes place. (_BRIEF_)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just borrowing the characters.

Title: A Difference in The Making

This is only the Prologue A Determined Beginning.

In the distance were the sounds of a fierce battle, where most of Konoha's forces were trying with all they had to keep the demon at bay. Protecting their village from the demon's overwhelming power from destroying their families and friends; their home.

As the Fourth Hokage finally finished the preparation of the sealing, he took a few moments to say goodbye for the last time. Just a few moments. Namikaze Minato stared down at the small bundle in his arms and smiled. No matter how much the grief of losing his wife was, there was always their son, their little Naruto. Wrapped in a dark blue, cotton blanket, only the baby's small flushed face and blonde hair was visible. Asleep, the little boy resembled his mother with his long lashes and pouting lips.

/Kushina./

For a moment Minato wished to wake the sleeping child to see the beautiful blue eyes one last time. But precious time was running out and Naruto was peacefully sleeping in the safety of his father's arms, blissfully unaware of the torment that plagued the Fourth Hokage. He couldn't put this off any longer, his village needed him, and they needed his son as well. He would not fail, no matter what happened today, his son would be a hero.

/Our son is going to save this village Kushina./

He heaved a sigh before placing the child back in the crib. Slowly, as not to disturb his sleep, he leaned down to kiss his son goodbye. Inhaling deeply of his fresh baby scent Minato smiled as he pulled away. He slowly turned and assessed the man that had been waiting patiently at the doorway for some time.

The man was dressed entirely in a black attire of haori and hakama. His raven black hair was pulled severely back from his face into a topknot. His glittering, gray eyes were focused on the Hokage. His facial expression remained blank as he waited, silently waiting for Minato to speak. They may have been twins, but this man's personality was nothing like Kushina's; where Minato's wife was kind and soft spoken, Motoharu was cold and sarcastic. But even then, Minato trusted the man, especially for this.

"Thank you. Kushina would have-"

Minato's voice trailed off, watching Motoharu's stoic expression as he moved into the room and towards the window. He glanced at the darkening sky, then towards the west, where he could vaguely see the explosions of battle taking place.

"You have to leave. You have already said your farewells. Your son will not come to harm….you have my word."

Hearing the calm and cold voice, Minato nodded before he moved to the door to leave. With one final glance at the crib holding his son, Minato pushed down his despair and disappeared.

…………………………

_It wasn't long before the horrible sounds of battle ceased and all of Konoha was silent. Motoharu did not watch from the window, but stared down at his nephew as the seal appeared on his stomach. As the spiral seal glowed a fiery red, the baby's face scrunched up in discomfort, before opening his blue eyes and letting out a piercing howl. _

_/So it's done. Goodbye Namikaze Minato./_

……………………………….

For the moment, Motoharu was at a loss; he was confused at what to do with an infant. For the last five hours the child had not stopped wailing, and after every hour it was getting louder and louder. He started rocking the child as he saw his brother-in-law doing, but nothing seemed to quiet him down.

He tried not to scowl down at the aggravated red face as he started to lose his patience. Minato reassured him that the seal would only surprise the child at first, but the slight pinch of pain would cease after a few minutes of the sealing. So now, here in the Hokage's office waiting for old Sarutobi to appear, he was worried that Minato might have been wrong about the pain to the little baby.

He was so occupied in his efforts to comfort the child that he did not hear the door open and close behind the Third Hokage.

"Perhaps I can help."

Motoharu turned around as he held the child protective to his chest. He regarded the old man with curiosity. He easily saw through the softly smiling face to the tired and sad man underneath. He did not have to ask what had happened, he was right to ask Minato for custody of Naruto. He silently nodded as he handed the screaming baby to the old man's welcoming arms.

Sarutobi had to chuckle at the surprised look upon the young shinobi's face when Naruto quieted down immediately upon seeing the Third Hokage's face. Hearing the old man laughing, Naruto smiled toothlessly in happiness. Sarutobi returned the smile before shifting his attention to the disgruntled man watching them. He shrugged his shoulders as he moved to sit down on the couch upon the far wall that faced the Hokage's desk.

The two men were quiet for a while, listening to the cooing sounds the baby made. Motoharu was known for his exceptional patience, but his anger in this matter frustrated and worried his self-control. He broke away from his statue-like stance and moved to stand next to the window. Even in the pure darkness, Motoharu could still see the Hokage monument in his mind, every single face and detail.

His patience paid off, when he heard the voice of the Third Hokage pierce the silence of the room. Motoharu did not fail to hear how hoarse or quiet his voice was as he related what had happened.

"Minato has done it, the village is safe. And as I have promised, no one in this village will know that the vessel of Kyuubi is the Fourth Hokage's son. And as we have all feared, the council has demanded the child's death."

Motoharu turned to stare blankly at the old man. He watched as the Third Hokage of Leaf lowered his head in remorse, but Motoharu did not speak, for what was there to say. All that he had predicted has come to pass. There was no point in dwelling on lost chances. Now, he had a duty to fulfill; to Minato and his beloved sister, Kushina. His twin sister lived within Naruto, and he will honor her memory by caring for him.

"This should not have come as a surprise to you Hokage-sama. But I will not pressure you any longer, everything is ready."

Sarutobi peered at the younger man questionably. He was not so much surprised at the lack of emotion, but Motoharu was not one to forgive so easily. From the little that he knew of the man from Minato, he was a hard man to befriend, and even a harsher man to accept trust. It was fair to understand that mistrust; before Kushina came to Konoha, everyone in the Ninja World still held the belief that her clan had been destroyed.

As history states, about a hundred years ago during the creation of many of the villages, there was a clan who remained reclusive from the forming groups. They had a feared bloodline dealing with Ametsuchi. Masters of nature, they were called. Their advance bloodline made them arrogant to all the other ninja clans; refusing help and claiming supremacy; they withdrew from all contact from the outside world. Anger, fear and jealousy started to form and eventually the hatred for the clan grew so large that continuous attacks came upon the clan and finally wiped them out. It was told that all of the members of that clan were killed and the clan's name disappeared forever.

It seemed that history was wrong, for Kushina and Motoharu were proof that some members of that clan did survive and escape prosecution. Their ancestors managed to hide from destruction and lived in constant secrecy for years to come. And as the years went by, the Ninja World forgot that cursed clan and their name. Uzumaki.

Motoharu was the definition of Uzumaki, he was full of suspicion of anyone not of his clan. He was quiet and cynical in any company. Even now, Sarutobi watched as Motoharu silently moved to the darkened corner of the room and picked up a small pack and his katana. He strapped the blade to his back with ease, before pulling on the pack. He checked himself over once, before turning and moving toward the slowly standing Hokage.

Sarutobi placed the child in the shinobi's arms and shook his head mournfully, "I wish there was another way."

Motoharu glanced at the silent but happy face of his nephew before he held the gaze of the old man in front of him.

"I will bring him back when he has learned the full knowledge of the clan. He is still a member of this village, but to protect him from those who wish to harm him, he'll have the name of a forgotten people. Uzumaki…Uzumaki Naruto."

…………………………………………………..

Motoharu silently slipped through the night, and out of Konoha without notice; that was the last time the Third Hokage would see Naruto in a long time.

…………………………………………………

The young shinobi of twenty years of age carried his precious burden away from Fire Country and to the most unlikely place, the Sound Country. There under heavy concealment of genjutsu, the Uzumaki clan have lead quiet lives.

Since their father's death ten years ago, Motoharu and Kushina were left in the care of their Uncle Shigeru, the clan leader. As years went by, Motoharu was trained as heir of the Uzumaki clan and Kushina left claiming to want to explore the world beyond their protective barrier. Time passed, and Motoharu's hope of his sister's return was dashed when she sent word of her love to a shinobi of the Leaf Village. With haste he left his clan, determined to bring back his wayward sister.

Now he returns home, without his sister; but her son. There was no choice, in that matter. The Leaf Village was ready to slaughter the only child of his sister and the Fourth Hokage for reasons being, that they were afraid; afraid of a helpless child that could have been a strong addition to their shinobi village if they only accepted him. But enough was enough, Naruto was here now, among people who will care and nurture him. The Uzumaki clan will teach him their ways and when the time comes, guide him to understand who his parents were and their sacrifice to protect Naruto's honor.

…………….

Naruto was readily welcomed into the village, but all mourned the death of his mother, Kushina. Shigeru, Motoharu's uncle, after hearing of Kushina's death and the cause of Naruto's misfortune promised that after training the child, he will truly do his parents proud, the Fourth Hokage's Legacy.

……………..

At the tender age of two, Naruto began his training. Even at such a young age, the blonde child was showing signs of exceptional intelligence and understanding of everything around him. He learned to talk before he could walk; hours at a time, Motoharu would find the toddler sitting with an elder of the village holding a conversation with them. Granted that the child would stumble upon his words, but with his solemn and almost hard mannerism, everyone took him seriously. The first of their tasks, Motoharu sat Naruto down and explained their ways to the young boy.

"It is time that I told you the extent of our bloodline, the ways of our people. I will not be interrupted until I am done, understood?"

The stern voice in his uncle's voice caught Naruto's attention. He nodded slowly and made himself comfortable. His natural curiosity to know everything would be hard to quell, but he knew that his uncle would not tolerate disobedience. He was never cruel to him, however he spoke to Naruto in the same mannerism as any adult; he did not cuddle him or indulge his childish whims. Motoharu saw no point; for his uncle Shigeru was fond of Naruto and took it upon himself to shower the child with his attention and care.

Ironically, the child adored his uncle most and would follow him anywhere, even as a toddler. His demeanor started to mirror his uncle until everything else followed. His attire was similar as well, from his shoulder length hair that was pulled into a topknot, to his plain black haori and hakama.

"Ametsuchi, technically deals with nature. A long time ago, we were always referred to as the Masters of nature, but that is slightly incorrect. We can communicate with nature, humbly asking for its help, but its masters we are not. Telepathically, we are able to speak with it. For all things in nature has a voice, and our clan was blessed with the gift to hear their thoughts and feelings. But there are disadvantages to this ability. It takes a lot of chakra to maintain the connection, enabling us to use it for a significant amount of time. Of course there are those that are chosen to connect with nature indefinitely. There were few people throughout the years that were able to create a permanent bond with nature. None are alive today, that certain ability of our bloodline seems lost now."

Motoharu frowned as he turned his gaze towards his nephew. He had Naruto's immediate attention, but he could also see a fierce determination reflecting in those passionate blue eyes. He could probably guess what went through his little nephew's head, but he made no comment as he continued with his lesson.

"If nature accepts you, you are able to ask for its aid; from the very bottom of the ocean to the highest peak in the sky, nature is at your command. But you must never abuse this power, for there are certain creatures of nature that are not easily trusting of humans. They might refuse you, it is understandable-no one is able to hold every structure of nature in their hands, for there are beings in nature that will never get along. For example, no matter the motivation, a cat is always an enemy of mouse."

Naruto nodded in understanding but he could not keep the smile of amusement from appearing on his face at his analogy; for he befriended a mouse recently and he had to keep his uncle's large hunting cat from eating him.

"However, because of who you are, you may have a chance of gaining many respects from nature."

They both were quiet for sometime, Naruto reflecting inwardly, while his uncle watched his reaction. It wasn't long ago that he informed the boy who his parents were and their absence from his life. His honor demanded it, when the child asked why he had no parents like the other kids. Not surprisingly, Naruto took the news about his parents calmly, but there were a lot of questions, which unfortunately led to Kyuubi. What caught Motoharu off guard was Naruto's acceptance of the facts, he then continued to tell Motoharu that he has in fact been communicating with Kyuubi since he was able to comprehend anything. But the fox demon has been secretive of where his voice originated. Therefore Naruto came to the conclusion that Kyuubi was a figment of his imagination. A shadow that he created to keep himself occupied with his many questions.

After learning about the kitsune youkai in his stomach, Naruto immediately tried ways to communicate more thoroughly with the demon. After many attempts, Naruto finally found a way to visit his tenant trapped inside his body. That was a very unnerving experience.

……………………………..

Naruto softly walked down the dank hallway towards the double doors. His short legs kept stumbling when he realized what really awaited him at the end of this walk. He shook his head to clear the jumbled thoughts as he softly opened the heavy doors and walked through. The room was huge with glowing yellow lights reflecting off the walls. Parallel to his position at the only exit were tall steel bars resembling a cage entrance. Further beyond the bars was utter darkness, revealing nothing. But Naruto was not fool as he moved towards the cage front and spoke.

"Demon?"

The silence was the only answer he got before a rumble shook the very foundation he was standing on. He tried to speak up, but his throat close up painfully as a huge, blood red eye appeared from the shadows. When Naruto kept silent, the red eye narrowed.

SO WE MEET AT LAST HUMAN. AMUSING IS IT NOT? THAT THE ONLY THING IN THIS WORLD THAT COULD STOP ME WAS A HUMAN INFANT; DO YOU FEAR ME LITTLE HUMAN?

Naruto pushed down his fear and moved even closer to the cage. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears, his hands were clammy and his legs were shaking. But all he could think about was conquering his fear; the kitsune youkai could help him or destroy him.

An arms length away from the cage he stopped and gazed into that eye. He shrugged his shoulders in a common display of indifference.

"I'm two years old. I would be a fool not to fear you. But I won't let you intimidate me. I recognize your power, and I will respect it. But not before we get something straight. You may be a youkai, but you're living inside me. Our lives are connected, if I die, you die. I think that since I'm the carrier, I protect both of us. I should have some degree of respect from you as well, don't you think Kyuubi?"

The growl rattled his teeth, but Naruto did not cower. He held his ground and lifted his chin in defiance. He watched the eye disappear. But before he could question it, a large red tail slipped between the bars and wrapped around him. He was embarrassed to hear a scream erupt from his throat as his feet left the floor and he was suspended twenty feet in the air. He clenched his little fists around red fur and held on.

Horrified, Naruto watched a fanged mouth appear in his line of vision. He was able to keep the next volume of fear from escaping him as the demon's head appeared. His red eyes were narrowed as he peered at Naruto. From his viewpoint, the mouth stretched across razor sharp teeth resembled a feral grin. He was not far from the truth when, surprisingly, a hissing sound passed through those teeth and fanned over his face. The demon was laughing at him.

The indignant part of Naruto growled. He may be a child, sometimes acting silly, but he hated it when people laughed at him. He was not a joke and the demon was going to take him seriously whatever it takes.

Baring his teeth in fury, Naruto started pounding on the tail that kept him captive. "Let me go demon! Don't laugh at me!"

Naruto's growling caught the fox's attention. He focused his eyes on the squirming figure in front of him. He was amused to see that the fear was replaced with furious aggression; truly remarkable for one so young, especially a human child.

I AM NOT LAUGHING AT YOU BOY.

YOU ARE A FEARLESS LITTLE KIT.

YOU ARE VERY FOOLISH TO SPEAK TO ME SO, BUT BRAVE NONETHELESS. REMARKABLE ARGUMENT YOU POSE, I WILL THINK ON IT. YOU HAVE TO PROVE YOURSELF WORTHY OF MY RESPECT.

UNTIL THAT TIME, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT DIE.

Naruto cocked his head to the side in wonder. Although Kyuubi's voice was ringing in his ear from the close proximity, he was curious by the soft undertones in the deep voice.

"How are you going to do that? When you're in here?"

There was that hissing sound again, and Naruto now realized that it was the demon's equivalent of a laugh.

I WILL SHARE MY CHAKRA WHEN YOU NEED IT. MY HEALING ABILITY WILL BE YOURS AS WELL. MAYBE SOMEDAY WHEN YOUR BODY CAN WITHSTAND MORE CHAKRA, I'LL TEACH YOU DEMONIC JUTSU…..MAYBE.

NOW LEAVE MY SIGHT.

…………………………………………..

That memory was still vivid in Naruto's mind. His thoughts were cut short by his uncle's voice.

"No matter what happens in the future Naruto, the secrets of our family must remain thus. Even your true identity must not be known outside our family. Understand?"

Naruto nodded his head in understanding. Motoharu had to smile a little at the humor of such an action. A child of two with enough secrets to last anyone a lifetime and he took it all calmly and respectively. His parents would have been proud.

"As you grow older, your link to nature will grow, do not force it. For now we will concentrate on building your chakra reserves. And since you are able to stand on your own two feet, we will begin your physical training as well."

Naruto smiled in anticipation as the declaration. He had been waiting awhile to hone his skills to match his uncle, whom he looked up to. He would not disappoint.

…………………………………………

Over the years that followed, Motoharu and the rest of the village trained Naruto physically, mentally and psychologically. Every day he would wake up around five and join his taijutsu sensei, Gupo, in morning laps and exercises before they trained. The older shinobi would teach him the arts and forms that made their clan unique. Afterwards, at around eight, he would meet the elder shinobi in the village to study about their clan's history and their bonds with nature.

After four hours of studying with them, he would depart and spend his one-hour lunch with his old uncle, Shigeru. Where everyday, his _ojiisan_ would play shoji with him or teach him to exercise his mind in other strategic games. Before leaving his ojiisan, Shigeru would ask him to display a genjutsu that he was given a week before. If mastered, the old man would present him with a new scroll. Naruto never failed to learn a new one every week.

Later in the afternoon, weapons-sensei, Mito, would train him with various weapons. She would instruct him of many, advising that any ninja must always be ready to use any weapon handy. Naruto easily learned to handle and fight with shurikens and kunai knives. He enjoyed the matches he had with his sensei on katana techniques the most. The one that really irritated Naruto in learning to use, was the Tessen. He continued to complain how useless a fan would be to help him in battle until Mito-sensei defeated him with the tessen against his katana.

"Never underestimate anything you do not know Naruto. That lesson does not only imply people, learn that well little one." Her voice was full of amusement as she helped him clean his wounds and soothe his bruised ego.

After leaving Mito-sensei around four in the afternoon, Naruto was given time to rest before meeting his uncle Motoharu at the dojo where he taught him ninjutsu and stealth arts. Mostly learning stealth from him, Motoharu explained that when Naruto has mastered everything that their clan has to offer, they would be traveling to enhance his bloodline limit as well as learn other types of ninjutsu. Meeting other people and new lands in different villages would help Naruto learn as well as connect more with nature.

During these sessions, Motoharu would occasionally tell Naruto about his mother and father. Upon hearing about his father's mastery in Fuin Jutsu, he wanted to learn that as well. Motoharu patiently promised him his due when they'd visit Konoha someday and claim the Yondaime's scrolls that were waiting for him in the care of the Third Hokage. To placate the boy's protests, Motoharu would explain the amount of work that Fuin Jutsu required that he did not attain yet.

It never failed, after hearing this Naruto's determination mounted and he would train harder, pushing himself to honor his fallen parents.

On the rare days that his teachers did not run Naruto to exhaustion, he would visit one of the elder members of the clan, their priestess, Haruka. He was one of the few people that she tolerated around her for long periods of time. She was rather fond of his quiet but charming nature. When visiting her, the old woman would teach him about herbs and healing techniques. The lessons ranged from her large experience with poisons and healing remedies to physical and mental injuries.

With her, Naruto learned proper etiquette as well. Upon their first meeting, the old woman was horrified at the two-year old's lack of manners. To her secret desire and amusement she taught him grace in manner and behavior. It was truly humorous and surprising to see a two-year-old talk properly and sit with a straightened and posed humility. For she never married, her lack of children and want of having a child pushed her determination to at least dress the boy properly.

At the age of four, Naruto's constant attire of black was changed. She understood his role as a future shinobi, so his clothes were altered to help his movements in battle. He dressed in a well-fitted, dark blue inner kimono that matched the color of his eyes. Over the kimono was a white yukata and black shinobi pants. After the change, Haruka demanded that the weights that Naruto sported all the time be removed. To placate both Gupo and Lady Haruka, Shigeru taught Naruto the seals to use a gravity field to increase pressure upon him.

Even Naruto found this technique thankfully easier, leaving him with room for his kunai holster strapped to his thigh and pouch bag at his waist full of shuriken and tags. At both his sides he hid each of his tessens while he strapped his katana to his back.

"Now you look more like a shinobi, with grace and nobility of your clan."

Six-year-old Naruto smiled at the priestess, before he leaned over and kissed her weathered cheek as she poured them a cup of tea. She smiled with pleasure at his affection.

"Thank you for helping me Haruka-sama. I don't think I could ever survive my senseis without you."

The old woman chuckled, for they both remembered the many times the woman would scold Shigeru and the others for their intense teachings to young Naruto. Naruto never complained to her and insisted that he wanted to get stronger, which she always ignored by lecturing the adults.

"How is your training?"

Naruto smiled turned into a frown. He shook his head in silent contemplation. He was not doing as well as he should, he was almost seven and he still was not satisfied with his progress. His teachers reassured him that his training was equivalent to a chunin level. But he still had a lot to learn in his ninjutsu as well as taijutsu.

"Uncle is teaching me Kyuichose no Jutsu. If I am able, I will have a contract with dragons."

Lady Haruka nodded in understanding. "That is a great honor, you have been waiting awhile for this moment. Your constant fascination with dragons will help you. You cannot dishonor your uncle. If he thinks your ready, then it must be so."

Naruto met her gaze and smiled in gratitude.

……………………………….

"I think you're old enough now to sign the contract with our family's summons. But before you are allowed to, there is always a series of tests. You must prove your worth to the dragonlord. Are you ready Naruto?"

Naruto silently watched at his uncle explained what he must do. Before he could answer, he took a deep calming breath, cleansing his mind of any doubt he focused his attention again on his uncle. When he nodded his uncle held his eyes for a second before turning and moving to the sidelines of the training area. He paid no heed to the specters as he concentrated on the first test.

The first tester was his weapon's sensei. Mito approached him with their chosen weapon. He tried not to groan when he realized that she brought two staffs with her; his weakest handling. He could not be sure, but he could have sworn that she was trying not to smile.

/I'll show you funny sensei./

Mito threw one of the staffs before she moved into position. "You must defeat me using nothing else but that. Begin."

Naruto had hoped earlier that Mito-sensei did not choose this weapon, nevertheless he was prepared and had planned for the unfortunate. He knew the basics of this skill but never particularly liked such a long-ranged weapon. He also knew that his sensei did not prefer it as well. That of course did not prepare him for the hit that his sensei delivered to his side. He scolded himself for his lack of concentration.

"Pay attention Naruto-kun. Or this is going to be a very short evaluation."

Paying no mind to her taunts, Naruto gritted his teeth against the pain and raised his weapon in front of him. He was not going to let her through again.

He split his concentration between the fight and finding an opening to execute his plan. He kept on the defense as his sensei's forced offensive pushed him back. Because of his heightened reflexes, he was able to block her attacks. After a full five minutes of dodging her, Naruto saw his opening when Mito-sensei smirked at his feint stagger. She took a calculated step back to swing the staff at his head when he dropped his body into a crouch to avoid it. Because of the force of her swing, she was unable to stop her forward momentum as she leaned over his ducked form. He did not give her any time to gain her footing as he delivered an uppercut to her chin with his weapon. As she stumbled back from the blow he stepped to the side while he positioned his leg in front of her two feet. He brought his staff horizontally down upon her unprotected neck, making sure to hit the side only.

The speed and force of the execution left her too dazed to see the positioned foot in front of her. Through her pain and surprise, she lost her grip on her staff. She fell forward onto her face and stilled as the end of his weapon pressed into her back. She raised her head a little only to see Naruto's foot kick her weapon away.

/I'm going to get a lovely bruise tomorrow./

…………………………………..

Motoharu watched as Naruto matched Gupo in every fist and kick he delivered. He was able to counter the attacks with speed and precision. And because of his huge amount of stamina, Naruto was able to tire Gupo out to deliver the final blow that left the taijutsu master haggard.

He realized that again, Naruto depended on speed and endurance to defeat both Mito and Gupo. He wasn't going to make it so easy on the kid, for the last test, Naruto was going to understand the real meaning of patience.

Motoharu pulled off his katana and started to get ready as he waited for Naruto to catch a breather. From a few yards away, he could hear his uncle encourage the boy on his development. Without glancing in their direction he walked to the center of the training area.

"When you're ready Naruto."

He did not have to wait long, as his nephew ran up so he could walk by his side. They did not speak as they stopped in the center of the area and separated to widen the space between them. Looking across at each other, Motoharu spoke, "Ninjutsu only Naruto."

Naruto's response was a quick hands seal and a hardened cry, "Suiton: Suishouha."

The water wave that came barreling toward Motoharu surprised him. But his hesitation was slight as he countered quickly. "Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu."

The pillar of water was erected just in time to cancel out the huge wave. This time Motoharu did not wait to see what his nephew did next, "Doton: Jishin Satsu."

Naruto wavered unsteady on his feet before the earth opened up beneath his feet. He back flipped into the air and as he continued to descend, his hands were busy moving through the seals. Just as his feet touched the ground several feet away from the cracked earth he was ready, "Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu."

While his uncle was countering that jutsu, he was prepared for another one. "Doton: Doryuu Taiga." When his uncle was caught in the landslide, Naruto did not dwell on it. He rapidly finished his attack. "Doton: Doryuudan."

Using so much advanced ninjutsu was taking a strenuous attack on his chakra. He was very low, and his uncle was still standing. He took a ragged breath and fought for a calm center. It took him a few moments to realize what he had to do.

"I'm guessing that you are low on chakra, at this rate you can't defeat me."

Naruto glared at his uncle and scowled. He set his feet and braced himself. "Suiton: Suishouha!"

The second he let the huge wave go, he felt faint and disoriented, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Kyuubi-sama, lend me your chakra."

He heard an answered growl before he looked up and watched his uncle's water dragon blast cut through his wave and headed straight to him. It didn't take but a second as he felt the red chakra move through out his body. Naruto echoed a thank you into his subconscious as he made his attack. "Tajuu Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

Everyone was surprised as they watched hundreds of clones line themselves in front of Naruto. Motoharu watched with amazement as the clones were used as a barrier to stop the dragon blast.

That minute of lost concentration was all Naruto needed to slip silently behind his uncle; "Doku Gasu!" Motoharu turned only to inhale poison gas. It worked fast in his system, moving through out his body; disturbing his motor skills and pushing relentless pain everywhere.

"Katon: Karyuudan!"

The last thing Motoharu felt before darkness took him was scorching heat that washed over his body as he collapsed.


	2. Wonders of the World

A Difference in the Making

Note: It took me forever to continue, so I tried to make this an enjoyable read. I hope I succeeded, thanks to everyone's patience.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, just borrowing it for reading pleasure.

Chapter 2: Wonders of the World

Motoharu slowly opened his eyes to greet a throbbing pain stabbing at the back of his pupils. He stared at the blurry ceiling of what he recognized as his house. He could hear voices whispering near him, but try as he might, he could not move his head to look. He blinked back disorientation as he tried to remember why he was in so much pain. He groaned when he tried to shift his position.

The voices ceased and, just as quietly, someone's face moved into his vision. Concern and nervousness colored intense blue eyes, contradicting the happy grin that spread across the small tanned face. Motoharu tried to lift his hand to smooth over the frown lines that appeared between his nephew's brows, but his arms felt like lead.

"Are you okay Uncle? You were unconscious for the entire day." The clear worry could be heard behind the soft words.

Motoharu licked his chapped lips and to his relief Naruto understood his unspoken request. Moments later he was gently raised up and a glass of water was placed upon his lips. After he had his fill, Naruto removed the glass and tried to recline him back when Motoharu shook his head.

"Help me sit up properly Naruto. I've had enough sleep. Now I need some answers."

Motoharu pointedly stared at his nephew. And said nephew went about helping him recline against the back wall without meeting his eyes. Even with his attention on this particular task, Motoharu saw the anxiety and worry that ran through his nephew. He softened his tone and tried to smile as he placed his hand over Naruto's.

"Naruto? You did very well. I underestimated how much you have learned without my guidance. I fully intended for you to pass, but not by knocking me out. You have exceeded my expectations. When I'm able, I will fulfill the last of our arrangement: the summoning jutsu. I think Lord Gatashi will see what I see."

Naruto leaned back and stared in excitement at his uncle's face. He felt his heart lift and his answering smile split across his face. He was tempted to hug his uncle but refrained because of his injury. He clasped his hands together before bowing in respect.

Comfortable silence fell upon them as Motoharu tried to relax against the wall and Naruto tried to prevent his own bubbling happiness from erupting.

"Naruto? Where did you learn Kage Bunshin? It

is a forbidden jutsu, only known by Konoha Ninja."

Naruto stiffened in surprise; he did not know that particular information about the jutsu. He raised his head and met his uncle's questioning gaze, but before he could reply someone spoke behind him. "I taught the boy that jutsu." Motoharu turned his head to see the old priestess move towards the bed slowly. He inclined his head in respect, but he never let his eyes wander from her.

"Lady Haruka." Naruto smiled at the old woman. He was about to move to help her sit on the other side of the bed comfortably when she waved him off. "I'm not that old, boy; I can still sit without assistance." Her bark was loud and brass, but Naruto only smiled before he settled back down.

Haruka turned to watch the patient with amusement. "I see you are well. Good, good. Naruto took good care of you. You will not find a better caretaker then him. The boy insisted that he take responsibility for your injuries, and I fully agree. Because of that, he passed my test as well."

Motoharu witnessed the silent exchange between his nephew and the old woman with curiosity. He saw the faint flush appear on Naruto's cheeks; his apparent embarrassment at the surprise praise from the old priestess intrigued Motoharu. It seemed that only the old woman could acquire a rare emotion from his stoic nephew without difficulty. He knew of Naruto's sessions with the priestess, but he never thought so much of it. He sighed in wonder. "What is your reward for him for passing your test, Lady Haruka?"

The priestess shook her head. "That is a matter between student and teacher." She smiled fondly at Naruto who bit his lip to keep from smiling.

"Besides that, the Kage Bunshin was something I wanted to teach him. I journeyed there many years ago, and by some bizarre circumstances, I came to obtain that certain jutsu. I did not think it would come in handy, since I was a mere priestess, but I guess I was mistaken. Just a little something to rattle those Konoha monsters for what they did years ago; they would be seriously insulted to find that one of the prized forbidden jutsu was in the hands of the container of Kyuubi." Motoharu could hear the smug harshness behind her words and chose not to reply to her statement. Naruto felt no such pretense. "Lady Haruka, you're being mean again." His frown was met with laughter.

"Let me have some fun boy. I'm too old for anything else."

Motoharu decided to change the subject. He turned his gaze towards his nephew and held the boy's blue eyes seriously. "Naruto, you have completed the training that our village could teach you. To learn more, you have to venture outside to other villages and places. After I am rested, you'll sign the contract with Lord Gatashi and then we'll embark."

Naruto was speechless. His surprise was evident as he stared first at his uncle, then the priestess, to see them both looking steadily at him. He could do nothing else but nod.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Motoharu stood patiently next to his uncle, Shigeru, while waiting for Naruto to appear. Motoharu in a rare display of curiosity was examining his Uncle's reactions at the coming events. But Shigeru was impossibly quiet and grim. It had been a week after Naruto's test. And Motoharu was confident that it was time for his nephew to meet their families' summoning. Since he could remember, Naruto had always been fascinated with dragons and knowing the particular creature the head house of Uzumaki summoned motivated the young boy to train to prove himself worthy.

What Motoharu did not tell Naruto was if he could summon the dragon lord Gatashi, he would be ready to continue his training outside the confines of their village. He would journey with his nephew and teach him more about their bloodline. The world and its wildlife would be a training ground for Naruto. And while Motoharu elaborated on their families' secrets, Naruto would learn about other villages and hopefully learn more jutsu.

He was pulled out of his musing when Naruto called him. "I'm ready uncle." The determination he saw in the six year old face was heartening, and yet sad. Such a young boy learning to grow up too fast, it seemed that there was no justice when it came to the container of Kyuubi.

Motoharu nodded as he pulled a large scroll in front of him. He unrolled it and handed it over to Naruto. Before he let the scroll go, he caught his nephew's eye, "Do not disappoint me Naruto. You represent not only yourself but our family." He knew that what he said was harsh and demanding on such a child, but Naruto was special. He had total confidence in Naruto's success.

And it seemed that Naruto thought so too. The child smiled softly at his uncle's stern face before nodding in affirmation. He walked a ways from Motoharu and Shigeru, before gently placing the scroll on the ground. With his back turned from his family, he bit his thumb and wrote his name on the scroll on the blank space next to his uncle's. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and concentrated. He was working very hard to expand his chakra reserves, and he wasn't going to waste any time by holding anything back. As he went through the seals his eyes flew open and narrowed when he felt his chakra moving frantically within his body.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu: Dragon lord!"

When the smoke cleared, everyone present inclined their heads in respect. Only the child who performed the summoning remained motionless in wonder.

Naruto blinked in awe when he realized that his hand was pressed against dark silver scales. He straightened and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that he did it. He was standing upon a silver dragon's head about seventy-five feet off the ground. Wanting to greet the dragon lord properly he leaped down next to his uncle and great uncle.

He stood in astonishment at the monstrous creature that towered over them. His whole body covered the training area, all fifty yards of it. They all watched as the majestic head moved from side to side as he stretched. His long tail moved to wrap around his hind leg and his leather wings came to rest at his sides while he finally lowered his head to meet their gazes.

All Naruto could see was the green reptilian eyes and the large gaping mouth with razor sharp teeth. Before he could say anything the gigantic head moved towards him and observed him quietly. His eyes widened in surprise when the dragon's nostrils flared before it sniffed him. The dragon blew hot steam out as he shook his head, "Interesting."

Motoharu and Shigeru both bowed when the large green eyes turned to them. "Shigeru… Motoharu. Is this the young Naruto you have told me about? Hmmm. He was able to summon me on the first try. But that is not enough for me."

The dragon turned back to hold the blue gaze of the child in front of him. He tilted his head and watched the golden haired boy stand there, holding his head high and meeting his glare courageously. The dragon snorted before he narrowed his green eyes. Without warning the dragon suddenly turned his large body and his silver tail swung around to strike at Naruto. On instinct, Naruto leaped over the tail before running to keep ahead of another hit. He was still concentrating on the tail lashing at him that he almost collided with the dragon's head when he lowered it.

Naruto came to a stop and tried not to cringe when he saw the narrowed glare and the mouth pulled back to show rows of large sharp teeth. This time he had no time to dodge when the dragon's nostrils flared and hot streaming flames raced towards him. He held still and hissed quietly when the temperature around him rose and he bit his lip when he felt the flames sail past both his sides, harmless to him in their course. While all this happened he kept his gaze on the green reptile eyes.

Five seconds later, with blackened soil as the only evidence of the destructive flames around Naruto, the dragon reared back and let out a dominating roar that shook the ground. After the echo faded the dragon cocked his head towards Naruto. "Very brave little one. Very brave indeed."

"Child of fire that has summoned me, do you know who I am?" The booming voice was horrific, but Naruto only nodded his head before bowing in respect.

Naruto's voice was unwavering as he spoke clearly and calmly. "You are the lord of the dragons. Lord Gatashi."

"You have passed your family's tests, but to finalize our contract you must ride the heavens with me."

Not waiting for a reply Lord Gatashi lowered his great head until it touched the ground and waited for Naruto. The boy hesitated only for a second before he leapt onto the dragon's head and stood between the two horns that curved over and back from the dragon's head. "Hold on." The clear amusement was heard in the dragon voice before he took to the air and disappeared from view.

…………………………………………………..

Shigeru sighed softly as he watched his little Naruto say farewell to the villagers. Naruto was leaving them after six years of living and growing under the clan's care. He smiled as Naruto hugged and laughed with the children and bowed in respect to his elders. It also seemed that his teachers were presenting him with gifts.

……………………………………………………

Gupo beamed down at his student. He brought forth a small black cloth. He unfolded it to present Naruto with black leather bracers that outlined metal plates with symbols of Faith engraved into each.

"Those are to protect you when you can't always dodge those shurikens. There is always faith in places that are least expected." Gupo smiled at Naruto's grateful expression.

Mito bowed at him before kneeling and kissing his forehead. She chuckled when he blushed at her show of affection. Catching his gaze, she cleared her throat. "I brought these for you. Their elegance and fragile appearance remind me of you." She presented him with two tessens. With a flick of her wrist she spread open one for his viewing; made of the lightest metal with thinned edges sharp enough to cut, it was a beautiful ebony color. She closed it again and handed both over to him. Realizing where his gaze landed, she explained the small silver symbols on the edge of each. "Strength, Naruto. There is always strength in all things still beautiful in this world; because like the elegance of these tessens, you hide power and strength in such a fragile form."

She smiled gently at his bowed head, raised his chin up and gazed into his blue eyes. "I'm proud of you, little Naruto." The whisper was soft and filled with love and pride for her student. She watched as he hid each of the tessens within the folds of his white haori.

To keep the tears from spilling, Naruto turned from her and was greeted by his ojiisan. Shigeru smiled down at the small tanned face. He did not wait for the child but gathered him into a hug. "No matter where you are Naruto, remember that you will always have a family here. We will miss you my boy."

He pulled away far enough to place a silver necklace around Naruto's neck. A small pendant blinked against the sun's rays; upon it was an image of Gatashi. "The pendant was made from one of Gatashi-sama's scales. Refined and molded into what you see now. It will be your connection with us."

Naruto met those wise old eyes and silently promised never to forget his clan, to never forget his family. Shigeru nodded before stepping away. Naruto's face lost all of its previous emotions, leaving him indifferent. He straightened his posture before bowing to his great uncle in respect and farewell.

Naruto turned to meet his uncle's eyes. Motoharu did not speak as he moved away from the group and towards the forest that hid their little village. Motoharu had already said his goodbyes. But he frowned slightly when he saw the hesitation in his nephew's eyes before he turned away. He did not question the boy as they moved further away from their home.

They were about to step through the barrier that protected the village when someone called out. They turned to see their priestess walking towards them. Motoharu finally realized what bothered the boy when he saw the relief and happiness flood across the young face.

………………………………..

Naruto bowed when the old woman reached them. "Haruka-sama." He did not try to conceal the happiness he felt of saying one last farewell to the woman that helped him so much.

Haruka pointedly looked at Motoharu. The older male resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he turned away from his nephew and the priestess and moved to give them space to talk without interruption.

"Naruto." The blonde haired child was surprised to hear the usually hoarse voice speak so softly to him. He gazed up at her with a gentle smile upon his face. He watched silent tears shimmer in her old eyes, refusing to fall. Wordlessly she handed him two scrolls tied together with a blue ribbon.

He cradled them in his hands, waiting for her. She chuckled at his questioning gaze and sniffed as she raised a withered hand to caress a whiskered cheek. "Those two scrolls are my life's work, medic jutsu as well as herbs and medicine that I want you to learn. It'll help you to protect the people you love. And this…"

She whispered tenderly as she withdrew a small black case from within her kimono. "This was a gift for your father. It is tradition that all the members of the house would bestow a small part of their clan to their intended. A sign of trust and love; your mother never had the chance to deliver the gift. It's yours now."

Naruto opened the case to see a small red stone glowing brightly. "It's a blood pendant." His voice revealed his awe. Haruka nodded in obvious pride. "I'm glad you know of such an important part of our culture Naru-chan." Naruto closed the case and placed it into his traveling sack with the two scrolls. Meeting the gaze of the priestess, he asked, "Is my blood a part of the pendant as well Haruka-sama?"

Haruka sighed as she gazed into those blue eyes. Instead of answering his question, the old priestess' ancient eyes gazed beyond Naruto into distant memory. "You're mother had gray eyes you know. She was my favorite student. You have her nose... and her spirit." Her musing was shaken when Naruto touched her hand, silently pleading to know. "...A drop of your blood was placed within the stone when you first came to us. When the time comes, you will present your heart to the one you love. And this will be a simple gift between lovers. You are too young now to see, to understand. But you will know…in time."

She kissed his forehead before running her hand through his long golden hair. She laughed when he tightened the topknot. "Good-bye Uzumaki Naruto."

She waited until he turned away from her before she let the tears fall.

………………………………………

It was not long in their travels when they reached Wind Country. There they came upon the Hidden Sand village.

After a few days of staying there, Motoharu informed Naruto that they would be moving on soon. Naruto did not argue, but managed to let his uncle agree to let him explore the village.

Naruto, in his haste that morning, could not find the cloth that fastened his hair together; knowing that his uncle could change his mind about his outing, he left their rooms with his hair loose. With him wearing a simple blue kimono, without his usual weapons strapped on, he could be mistaken for a little girl.

With wonder in his eyes he moved through the village looking at stores and at the people walking through the streets. In their journey, he had come to appreciate everything he saw, being confined to his village until he was six made him so curious and innocent of the outside world.

Even though his curiosity was heightened at the things he saw, he remembered his uncle's warning about the dangers of other villages.

Feeling the hot air of the desert taking its toll on him, Naruto looked for shade to sit under. He found a solitary tree in what looked to be a playground. Making sure that no one occupied the tree; he leaped up into its branches and sat on one of the larger ones. He sighed with contentment when a slight breeze moved through the leaves and caressed his fevered skin.

'_KIT'_.

Naruto was immediately pulled into his subconscious at an alarming rate. He could not help but glare at the demon. "You could have given me warning you were going to do that."

Kyuubi ignored the remark and growled menacingly.

'IT SEEMS THAT SHUKAKU IS IN THIS VILLAGE.'

Naruto was instantly on alert. A while back Kyuubi had informed him of some of the demons that he encountered before he was sealed inside Naruto. And one of those demons was Shukaku, the one tailed demon of the desert. From the stories that Kyuubi revealed about the desert demon, Naruto was fascinated to actually meet this crazed tanuki.

"Should I seek him out?"

'THAT WON'T BE NESCESSARY. HE IS VERY CLOSE. BE ALERT, KIT.'

Naruto only had time to nod an affirmative before he was pushed back and jolted into full awareness. He felt the prickle of power licking at his senses as he surveyed the empty playground beneath him. He turned his head when he heard shuffling. To his surprise, right behind the tree he occupied was a set of swings, and there sitting alone was a red-haired boy about his age.

He continued to watch silently as the lone boy held a worn teddy bear as he swung softly on his seat. Naruto frowned when he saw the sadness that reflected upon the tearstained face. Before he could move, Naruto silently witnessed the sand at the boy's feet start to rise of its own accord and twirl around like little whirlwinds.

/Shukaku's container, huh. It seems that Shukaku got into the same predicament as you Kyuubi-sama./

Naruto smirked when he could feel the irritation that Kyuubi felt rising inside him. He smoothed his face into an unmoved mask, before jumping down from his perch loud enough to alert the other boy to his presence.

He moved around the tree and came face to face with the boy. He realized with silent observation the weariness and hesitation in the other boy's green eyes. The dark circles under the redhead's eyes concerned Naruto. He took a step forward and halted when the sand between them started to rise and move towards him.

Naruto took a deep breath and smiled softly at the boy. Living so long with his stoic uncle as his only companion had stunted his social skills. But he was determined to at least appear friendly, even if a little awkward. "Hi. My name's Naruto. What's yours?"

The boy watched Naruto in confusion. He held the bear tighter to his chest and stepped back a pace.

Naruto was not disheartened and laughed, "Do you want to play?"

Naruto watched the boy narrow his eyes in suspicion. He bit his lip and shrugged, as if he didn't care either way. He glanced down towards the shifting sand and smiled again. "That's pretty neat. I wish I could do that."

Still keeping his tone light and welcoming, Naruto moved slowly forward until he was two feet away from the other boy. He noticed the redhead tense at his close proximity, before lowering his head to watch the sand at their feet.

"Gaara."

Naruto lifted his head in question. He met soft green eyes within a pale face.

"My name: Gaara of the desert."

Naruto beamed, "Nice to meet you Gaara."

Gaara silently examined Naruto with curiosity and apprehension shining in his eyes.

Naruto could see the anxiety setting in around Gaara's aura. He could only guess what put the other boy on alert around him. This close to the other boy, Naruto was slowly letting Shukaku feel Kyuubi's chakra. Hopefully the desert demon would not do anything drastic.

Gaara's eyes widened when he felt Shukaku shriek within him. He stumbled away from Naruto in alarm. His sand came to defend against Naruto. But to his amazement the blonde did not appear to fear the approaching sand; Naruto stood there with a hand stretched out toward Gaara.

"Don't be afraid, Gaara. Don't let Shukaku's ranting confuse you. I want to be your friend."

Gaara inhaled sharply when he heard the blonde's words. He shook his head in denial as Shukaku started screaming for blood.

Realizing that Gaara was not listening to him anymore he switched tactics.

"Shukaku! Cease your rambling antics immediately! Kyuubi-sama demands it!"

Gaara gritted his teeth as he held onto his head. The pain intensified for a brief moment before it calmed like never before. He could still hear Shukaku, but it was quiet and humbling.

Gaara turned to Naruto with wonder in his eyes. Naruto smiled in return. "You see Gaara, I'm just like you."

Naruto patted his stomach and giggled, "Kyuubi-sama, the nine-tailed fox demon resides in me."

Gaara trembled with elation and slight disbelief that someone could be just like him. He watched in awe as Naruto moved slowly towards him. He was surprised at the ease and acceptance the blonde showed as he smiled softly at him.

"Maybe we could talk more about it, huh Gaara?"

Gaara was speechless as he gazed at the blonde; without hesitation though, he spoke quietly. "You're very different from other girls aren't you?"

Naruto blinked, and blinked again.

Not letting Naruto respond Gaara smiled for the first time since their meeting. A soft shy smile, with a faint blush on his pale cheeks he declared softly, "But you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

/Girl/

Blink.

/Did he just call me a girl/

Blink.

"WHAT!"

……………………………………….

Gaara and Naruto's friendship grew that day. Well…after Naruto set Gaara straight about his gender, that is.

Everyday after that, Motoharu would find them spending time together. Naruto had informed his uncle of what had transpired that first day they met. He told him about Kyuubi's involvement in Shukaku's sudden calm behavior within Gaara. There was no need for a lot of persuasion for Shukaku to obey Kyuubi; his fear of the fox demon's wrath squashed any rebellion that Shukaku had.

Because of their mutual circumstance, Gaara was able to relax a bit. Without the constant voice commanding him to kill or the persistent demand for control of his body, he was able to sleep peacefully.

Their friendship was strengthened when Naruto found Gaara one night crying on the roof of his house. He was about to make his presence known when he realized that Gaara was speaking to someone as he sobbed. Moving closer he saw the wounded form of Yashamaru, Gaara's caretaker, speaking to his charge.

Naruto was speechless at the things he heard the soft spoken man say to Gaara. Yashamaru spoke of his hatred and ambition to kill Gaara all through the time he took care of the six year old boy. His heart clenched when he heard Gaara continue to sob in sorrow and disbelief. He didn't think about his actions when he saw the explosives strapped to Yashamaru's chest, he just moved in front of Gaara and held on as the area suddenly shook around them.

Naruto expected pain to accompany his actions but felt nothing. He raised his head from Gaara's shoulder and saw the tearstained face looking at him in shock. Naruto turned his head a little to see Gaara's sand barrier had protected them from the blast. Watching the sand barrier break down made Naruto numb with wonder; Gaara was alive.

Naruto turned back to Gaara when he felt his friend tremble. The green eyes that met his were still watery, but the sadness was slowly diminishing. "You risked your life to save me; Why?"

Naruto moved away slightly and smiled mournfully at Gaara. "Because you're my friend Gaara; My own special friend. Friends protect each other."

"..."

"Don't listen to what Yashamaru said; _I_ care about you. I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't fear you, I don't hate you. I would never hurt you, Gaara. Friends don't hurt each other. You're a good person, never forget that."

Gaara's tears fell again as he absorbed all that Naruto said, clinging to his words like a lifeline. He was surprised that his sand did not react when Naruto hugged him tightly. "I'm your friend Gaara. Yashamaru was wrong…from now on you're the brother of my heart. And as my brother, I give you unconditional love."

Naruto held onto the other boy as he sobbed uncontrollably. He let his own tears fall onto Gaara's shoulder as he felt Gaara's arms wrap around him desperately.

"It's going to be okay Gaara."

It felt like hours before Motoharu found them curled up together on the roof. He was silent as he gently woke them up and motioned them to follow him home.

It did not take long for news to spread about what happened that night. Gaara waited with Naruto and Motoharu in their hotel room until the Anbu force came for Gaara. Motoharu quietly asked for attendance to see the Kazekage when the Anbu made to leave with Gaara.

Naruto and Gaara did not know what Motoharu and Gaara's father discussed in the Kage's office, but they were surprised when they were motioned inside only to see Gaara's sister Temari screaming at their father. At their appearance she sobbed as she rushed over and knelt before her little brother. With her head lowered to the ground she beseeched Gaara, asking for his forgiveness.

"I'm sorry little brother. I didn't know what they planned to do."

She was trembling as she hiccupped through her explanations.

"Please forgive me for not loving you enough, not having the strength to protect you."

Her badly shaking hands grabbed the hem of his pants and held on.

In her sorrow she forgot about Gaara's instinctive protective defense. Fortunately for her, Gaara welcomed her comfort. Even though he was confused, he felt her love for him. Though accepting her words, he did not reply to her pleads, and remained quiet and stoic.

Motoharu motioned to Naruto; quietly they left the room. Naruto must have shown his unease at leaving them alone. But Motoharu shook his head. "We can't help them in this Naruto. They have to fix this themselves. The Kazekage may have given up on his youngest son, but Gaara's sister has shown her strength when most needed. Your friend Gaara will be all right. Have faith, Naruto."

It took all of Naruto's self control to keep from looking back as they walked away from the doors that led into that sad scene.

……………………………………….

Naruto smiled sadly at his friend. He took a chance to look behind Gaara's shoulder to see Temari and Kankuro waiting patiently for their little brother. It had been two weeks after the incident, but it seemed that his uncle Motoharu was right. Gaara was slowly recovering, and with Naruto's constant companionship, Gaara was getting closer to his siblings.

Unfortunately, Motoharu had found it time for them to continue their journey. So with final farewells Naruto had made sure that Temari and Kankuro would take good care of his friend.

"Goodbye Uzumaki Naruto. We'll meet again someday?"

Gaara tried to keep the sudden nervousness out of his voice, but Naruto heard and nodded. "Don't worry Gaara, we'll meet again. If Shukaku gives you any trouble, make sure to tell your tenant that Kyuubi would not appreciate his disobedience."

Naruto giggled when Gaara's siblings shifted nervously from foot to foot.

Gaara stared at Naruto intently. After a few seconds he smirked. "You should stop giggling if you're offended that people are mistaking you for a girl."

Naruto blinked in confusion before it clicked. He glared in irritation. "I don't giggle."

Gaara shrugged.

Naruto turned and moved towards his uncle who was waiting at the village gates. He paused and turned slightly to meet Gaara's green gaze. "Until we meet again, brother."

………………………………………..

For years after, Motoharu and Naruto moved through the ninja countries and beyond, training and learning. It became easier for Naruto to focus on his bloodline limit because of the vast places and natural habitats they encountered. As time passed, Naruto's relationship with nature grew until he could easily understand the variety of speeches of different animals and plants. He came to acknowledge that his particular gift was not like a summons, for every life that he called upon was different. The creatures of nature were sensitive to emotions; they understood more of his feelings better than he did. If they so chose, they did not have to cooperate with anything he said or did.

That was a point he learned when at the age of nine he was introduced to a group of missing-nin from Hidden Mist Village. In the area where they were ambushed the trees and animals were dark and angry. Naruto in a second of miscalculation activated his bloodline limit. The roots of the surrounding trees burst from the ground at his feet and wrapped around his ankle. He felt the anger and resentment in their voices through his link to them. He heard his uncle shout at him, but his attention was on the roots that squeezed around his torso before it flung him across the area and onto a nearby lake; He managed to stay atop the water. Though his instincts were demanding that he run, he calmed his breathing and focused. The missing-nin that approached him was fast and likely to win if he used the lake against Naruto.

Again he used his bloodline, this time calling forth the creatures of the lake. He beseeched them, pleaded, "Help me protect my uncle. I beg you spirits of the dark depths." Naruto heard the answer and smiled before raising his head and meeting the shinobi head on. He smirked, for he knew what the nin saw when he stopped a few yards away. Naruto's eyes glowed an unnatural blue, seeming to light up and pierce the very daylight with their brightness. The ninja's hesitation at the sight cost him; the water around them exploded as giant tentacles emerged and wrapped around the mist-nin's body. Naruto watched as the shinobi struggled to free him self.

"Zabuza!" Naruto heard the voice a second before his concentration was broken by an ice crystal that pierced his side. He stumbled and felt his connection with his bloodline diminish. He held his wound as he watched the tentacle retreat and disappeared under the surface of the water.

Motoharu gripped his katana tighter as he moved to Naruto's side. Without sparing a glance at his injured nephew, Motoharu addressed the missing-nin. "Leave. Take your leader, child, and leave this place." Both Motoharu and Naruto watched a boy few years older than Naruto pick up the unconscious missing-nin and move away from them. He glared at them once before disappearing entirely.

Naruto turned to see his uncle wiping blood off his katana. Without looking at his nephew, Motoharu began cleaning his weapon. "If you do not have to take a life, don't take it. Don't be eager to kill, it always destroys the man you are." Motoharu said no more as he moved to burn the bodies of the missing-nin he killed.

Motoharu showed no surprise when a few days later the two ninjas came back. He wasted no time as he moved to intercept the leader with the huge sword. Naruto was left to deal with the younger ninja.

The two boys danced around each other. Naruto tried to keep the other boy engaged in taijutsu, making the missing-nin unable to concentrate on performing any bloodline limit jutsu. He doubled his efforts by deactivating his gravity field to increase his speed. He saw the surprise on the other boy's face, before his fist smashed into it. As the mist-nin's face snapped back from the force, Naruto grabbed one of the boy's wrists and brought him back. Swinging him around, Naruto smashed him, back first, into a tree trunk. Naruto heard the gasp of pain, but not wasting time he made one handed seals,

"Suiton: Enforced Piercing Fang." A long slender dagger made entirely of water glowed brightly in his hand before he quickly smashed it into the mist-nin's chest. The crunch of bones was clearly heard over the other boy's scream before he sent a swift kick at Naruto's unprotected head. Naruto released the nin's wrist in order to block, but the force behind the kick still pushed him back.

Naruto straightened and watched the other nin hold a trembling hand to the center of his chest. He frowned at the other boy's endurance. After a moment he nodded to his opponent. "I may have not pierced your skin, but that attack has destroyed your ribcage and may have crushed your organs. Stop before it's too late, you may still have time to heal those wounds." Naruto gazed at the boy's dark angry eyes and tried not to falter when blood started to trickle from the corner of the boy's mouth.

"I won't loose, Zabuza needs me!" The mist-nin screamed in rage as he launched himself at Naruto. Blood kept flowing freely as the boy opened his mouth to exhale.

Their blows were swift and fierce, but Naruto was getting frustrated. He wanted to end the battle quickly, so with determination he withdrew his katana and ran at the other boy. He doubled his efforts when he saw his opponent moving through seals for what seemed like his ultimate attack. Gritting his teeth Naruto pushed more chakra into his feet and his speed doubled. He knew without a doubt what was going to happen, but he could not stop his momentum. At the last moment, he executed a series of seals: Lightning Force Descent! Gripping his katana in his right hand he performed a one handed somersault, releasing the jutsu from his left hand into the ground. Everything within a twenty yard vicinity pulsed with an electric charge. The charge passed through the mist ninja rendering him immobile. In a moment of paralysis from his opponent, Naruto swung his blade while in midair.

Landing a few feet away, Naruto watched the head roll next to his feet as the blood coated the ground. He did not turn as he heard the body hit the ground.

Naruto distantly understood his uncle informing the missing-nin that his young partner was dead and he would be wise to retreat. He stood stiffly, waiting for the adrenaline to finish coursing through his body. /My first kill./

"Naruto?"

Naruto felt his uncle briefly place a hand on his shoulder before moving to prepare the body. Naruto jerked out of his musings and stopped his uncle.

"No uncle. I will do it. He's my responsibility."

Motoharu did not object as he silently watched his nephew burn the body of the boy he killed.

While they left the area, their silence was interrupted by Motoharu's monotone voice. "The first kill is always the hardest Naruto. To protect those close to you, you sometimes hurt others. Think about that Naruto."

"..."

…………

In each village they visited, Motoharu was greeted with familiarity. Though curious, Naruto did not voice his questions about his uncle's popularity. But he did benefit from the fortunate events; retired and active shinobis who knew Motoharu were willing to teach Naruto their particular jutsus and even occasionally they would teach him different types of taijustu. From each one, he was able to incorporate into his own style.

While he learned from others as well as his uncle, the other occupant in his body was not quiet. Now and then Naruto would willingly visit the fox demon. It took time, but eventually Naruto came to respect the fox demon for his power, but he still tried to sedate the demon's bloodlust.

When he slept, Naruto would keep the demon company. It was amusing at first, for the demon refused to admit that the silence within his cage was chewing on his sanity. He was very adamant about not needing the small child's constant chatter to fill the silence, to quench his boredom.

Naruto also came to realize how intelligent the demon really was. 'OF COURSE I'M SMARTER THAN ALL YOU MISERABLE INSECTS. I HAVE LIVED FOR MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS. I WOULD THINK THAT WAS OBVIOUS. OF COURSE I KEEP FORGETING TO WHOM I SPEAK. A SMALL AND STUPID CHILD.'

The taunt was full of amusement at the expense of the little child. But Naruto only shrugged his shoulders, letting the comments roll off him. He knew how meaningless it was to try anything in his defense. The damn fox was cleverer than he was. The constant barbs were proof of it.

'WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN LEARNING LATELY KIT?'

Naruto listed the things that had happened that past week.

'I HAVE ENCOUNTERED BEINGS THAT COULD USE YOUR BLOODLINE LIMIT. PERHAPS THEY WERE OF YOUR CLAN.'

Naruto perked up at the statement. He kept quiet, hoping that Kyuubi would elaborate more on the subject.

'THEY WERE MORE ACUTE TO THIS GIFT THAN THIS GENERATION IS NOW. TIMES CHANGE KIT. MANY OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING ARE LINKED.'

Naruto frowned at the cryptic words. He shook his head. "I don't believe in fate Kyuubi-sama. Nothing is absolute. I make my own destiny." The determination in his eyes was strong and the demon could do nothing but laugh.

'YOU THINK THAT MERELY BY STATING SUCH A THING, IT'S REAL? YOU ARE STILL NAÏVE. NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU THINK YOU KNOW, YOU ARE STILL A CHILD KIT.'

Naruto moved towards the cage and held onto the golden bars. He peered intently into the dark depths trying to see the outline of the demon. "I don't want to be naïve Kyuubi-sama. I don't want my childish ideals to cause my family pain. Teach me. I want to know, I want to learn what you are willing to give me. I don't want to be a child in this world."

Naruto tried not to jump back when the fox demon moved towards him leaving the shadows behind. He was astonished when the demon seemed to be purring as he sniffed Naruto.

'YOU MUST NEVER ASK TO GROW TOO FAST KIT. YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK.'

Naruto relaxed when he felt the cushion of a fiery red tail wrap around him. He sat down within its warmth and sighed. "I might Kyuubi-sama. I might regret it later, but it's my decision to make, and I want to learn and grow to understand. Am I wrong?"

He was greeted with silence. He waited patiently as he stroked the tail wrapped loosely around him.

'I NEVER WANTED TO DESTROY YOUR VILLAGE KIT. ANGER BLINDS EVEN THE MOST POWERFUL OF BEINGS. I WAS NO DIFFERENT. EVEN NOW, AT MY AGE, I'M STILL NAÏVE. EASILY MANIPULATED, BY A HUMAN NO LESS.'

There was no humor in the rumbling laughter as the demon related what happened those years ago when he attacked Konoha.

'ALL I WANTED WAS REVENGE FOR THE HUMANS WHO DESTROYED MY LANDS; MURDERED MY MATE AND MY OFFSPRING. I GAVE NO CARE TO WHOM IT WAS. I JUST WANTED THEM TO FEEL PAIN AS I DID.'

Naruto bit his lip when he saw through the Kyuubi's eyes, flashes of the destruction that happened those years back.

'IT WAS TRULY IRONIC THAT SHINIGAMI'S APPEARANCE; THE PAIN I FELT AS I WAS RIPPED FROM MY OWN BODY; WAS WHEN I UNDERSTOOD. IN THE AIR, I COULD SMELL THE LINGERING SCENT OF SNAKES. I, THE MOST POWERFUL OF DEMONS WAS MANIPULATED BY A SNIVELING SNAKE. IT WAS TOO LATE TO TURN MY ANGER WHERE IT WAS DUE. NOW THAT WRETCHED HUMAN IS RUNNING AROUND WITHOUT JUSTICE.'

Naruto saw the brief image of the man who destroyed both their lives. His pale skin was pasty white. He had sickly yellow reptilian eyes and long black hair. Both Naruto's voice and Kyuubi's overlapped.

"'OROCHIMARU, REVENGE WILL BE OURS," BUT UNTIL THEN…. TRAIN KIT.'

Naruto frowned, he knew he was no match for a sannin and yet there was this craving for his blood. He could not decipher if it was his feelings or Kyuubi's.

……………………………

At the age of eleven Naruto, with his uncle, had traveled around ninja countries twice as well as ventured once outside the ninja world. He made many friends and allies with his uncle Motoharu's assistance. In each village Naruto would always feel a loss when he left, but he tried to be optimistic that he would see his friends again, both human and creatures of nature in that area.

As they settled for a night in the forest near Fire Country, Motoharu felt it time to disclose his decision to his nephew. He watched in the campfire's light as Naruto trained his bloodline abilities. Naruto sat across from him, having a conversation with a doe as he controlled the grass and roots of a nearby tree to rock softly while a squirrel danced on top. He had succeeded in dividing his attention to execute many tasks without losing focus; easily informing his uncle that every time he lost his concentration it was because he had become too emotionally conflicted in his goal. And so as Naruto grew older, he became more and more serious and reserved like his uncle. But there were times where his mischief and humor would surface.

He taught the boy everything he knew; now it was up to Naruto to refine his own techniques and styles. Sometimes he wondered if he ever did right by Naruto; was he able to help Naruto grow into a stable and well-bred person? Did he teach Naruto the true values of being a good human being? From the moment he met his nephew all those years ago, he knew what a challenge it was going to be. He was unprepared for the responsibility of another life along with his own. He had learned from trial and error, just as Naruto was learning himself. At the very beginning of his guardianship of Naruto, he was aloof and strict. It seemed that even though he was down right harsh at times, the boy admired and loved him; mimicking him in speech, behavior and clothing.

Now, Naruto was very mature for his age, ready to begin his trials in the place where it all started. Even though Motoharu knew that he would not be leaving the boy's side anytime soon, he was saddened to think that his nephew might forget his Uzumaki family, and forget his uncle as well.

But no matter what, he thought, he still felt proud that he was able to see and experience moments of Naruto's growth with him. And it was time to continue elsewhere.

"Naruto?"

Naruto and the doe both turned to Motoharu. The dancing squirrel and elements of the earth stilled at his voice as well. He tried not to smirk when he saw the quiet question the two were giving him.

"I think it's time that we paid a visit to your father's village."

………………………………………………………

It took two days to reach Konoha. Naruto's excitement was hard to contain as he silently watched as his uncle Motoharu briefly explained their presence in Konoha to the chuunins that were guarding the gates. Motoharu merely provided a simple tourist's speech and showed them the necessary papers before allowing admittance.

Motoharu glanced at Naruto and motioned towards the Hokage's tower. "That will be our first destination." Naruto nodded and straightened his pack as he kept pace with his uncle's calm steps.

No one paid any special attention to them as they passed through the streets. Motoharu's black garb appeared to the common people as a tourist; wearing a simple outfit of white and black while carrying a pack on his back, Naruto passed off as his son. With their weapons securely sealed within scrolls, Naruto and Motoharu seemed harmless.

They had no trouble moving through the tower, but the receptionist and the two Anbu guarding the doors to the Hokage's office were a different story.

"I'm sorry but the Hokage is very busy at the moment, he's in a meeting with someone. I don't know when he will be available to speak with you. But I'm sure that if you come back tomorrow-"

When Motoharu raised a defined ebony brow at her, she tried to keep the pleasant smile upon her face. But after a few moments where he remained standing in front of her desk unmoving she cleared her throat and glanced at the two Anbu across the room. No matter how attractive the man was, his unflinching gray eyes were frightening.

Before the Anbu could intervene Motoharu addressed her again. "I understand your hesitation to bother the Hokage, just inform him that Motoharu wishes to speak with him." The receptionist saw one of the Anbu cock his head at her and she swallowed her unease before she pressed the button on her desk.

"What is it Kira?"

"Sorry to bother you Hokage-sama, but there is a Motoharu-san here to see you."

There was small pause before a quiet affirmation was replied. "Let him enter, as well as his companion."

Kira glanced at Motoharu in surprise before peering at the boy that accompanied the black haired man. She was shocked that the Hokage knew that the man had a companion when she did not specify such. She was still staring at them when the boy moved forward and inclined his head to her in thanks.

She sat there watching as both man and child turned and disappeared through the doors that the Anbu opened for them.

…………………………

Motoharu and Naruto both analyzed the room and its occupants before bowing when they were a few feet away from the Hokage's desk. Motoharu recognized the other man as the young apprentice of his brother-in-law, Hatake Kakashi. The brooding young boy was now a tall gray haired man standing stiffly to the side while staring at them in surprise. From what Motoharu could interpret, the jounin recognized him, but he wondered if he remembered about Naruto.

Naruto was dismissing the jounin, his full attention was on the old man seating in his chair, a pipe fixated firmly between his lips, watching him. He met the gaze unflinchingly. The silence was not threatening, just heavy with undisguised tension. Naruto was not surprised by his uncle's silence; he knew the routine fairly well.

"Welcome back Motoharu-san." A puff of smoke emanated from the old man's pipe; his eyes still passive, squarely on Naruto.

Motoharu returned the greeting with a nod of his head. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. I have hoped to come back to Konoha for quite some time. But…"

Sarutobi smiled at his two visitors, he motioned them to the two seats in front of his desk. "Please take a seat."

Sarutobi watched the two gracefully situate themselves in the seats without breaking eye contact with him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kakashi shift from foot to foot in confusion.

"Motoharu-san, you remember Hatake Kakashi?"

Naruto's gaze shifted from the desk in front of him, and immediately beside it stood a gray-haired man. He wore a facemask that covered his mouth; his fore-head protector was at a slant covering one of his eyes. Clad in a dark-blue suit, with a green bulky jacket, a stern look heavily on his face, the ninja kept his eyes locked on Naruto. Naruto quickly withdrew and stared up at his uncle, who had a much less serious expression. His uncle nodded in the ninja's direction as he placed one hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"The years have been kind to you, Hatake," Motoharu's voice, sincere and forward. "You remember, Naruto," and slowly withdrew his hand. He then shifted his gaze back to the Hokage. "Our presence here will not be a disruption to Konoha, but swift and unrealized. Naruto has…"

The Old Kage immediately drowned Motoharu's voice, "…grown to be a fine young man." With his eyes directly on Motoharu, he inhaled sharply and released a gray cloud of smoke. "Naruto indeed looks just like his father in his youth." The Hokage looked at Naruto and his eyes softened, almost watery. A small smile spread on the Hokage's face. "You…--" a shuriken flew past Naruto, straight for the Hokage, accompanied by scurried footsteps trailing behind.

"I've got you, old man," followed the voice of a child. Naruto immediately turned to see a figure of a small boy, no older than 6, a fierce stare on his face. Fists clenched, and shirt drenched in sweat, and a small little helmet atop his adolescent head.

"My grandson, Konohamaru." The hokage looked grimly at the young boy, with the shuriken in hand.

"I will be Hokage, one day!" screamed the youthful child, as he turned and left. Naruto's gaze followed Konohamaru to the doorway, and well for some time.

"He is a good grandson," the Hokage was now smiling, "just very lonely," he said directly to Naruto. Naruto smiled and acknowledged the permission. The Hokage then looked directly at Motoharu.

"My judgment is appropriate." His gaze seemed to pierce deeper into Motoharu's eyes. "You shall be Konoha's guest. And we shall discuss … matters after you have rested."

………………………………

After the door closed behind Motoharu and Naruto, the silence in the room deepened. Sarutobi continued to puff on his pipe as he watched the door in contemplation. In the brief moments that he gazed at the boy, Sarutobi was able to see only glimpses of Minato in the boy before his uncle's influence clouded over any emotion. Naruto seemed to be a serious young boy. Confident yet lacking the arrogance that usually accompanied such a behavior, especially in younger people; how much had he learned in these past years?

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind for later observation, Sarutobi turned to Kakashi and motioned for him to speak his mind.

"Is he here to stay?"

Sarutobi frowned slightly as he turned his head and stared at the pictures of all the Hokages that were mounted on the wall. The picture of the fourth Hokage was prominent, for he among them was so very young when he gave his life for this village. Even with the serious façade, Sarutobi could still picture the smiling mischievous eyes twinkling behind that stoic face of Minato.

He planned on speaking with Motoharu again about Naruto's inheritance as well as his stay in Konoha. By right, Naruto was a member of this village; his father wanted him to be a hero of the village he loved so much. But he would not force the boy to stay if he did not desire it, hopefully the boy would consent and maybe he could get to know his old friend's only son.

"I still have to discuss Minato's wishes to Motoharu. For now they will be staying in Konoha."

Kakashi narrowed his eye in contemplation, he saw the cool and apathetic gaze that Motoharu presented them with. He was totally aloof when he was speaking with them. It was just how he remembered the older man those years ago. When he was first introduced to Uzumaki Motoharu, Kakashi was still a young teen with many bitter memories and a haughty attitude. But he had slowly been coming around because of his sensei and his sensei's beloved.

Uzumaki Kushina was a beautiful woman with a sweet disposition. She was an intelligent and caring individual. She never gave up on winning Kakashi over. She would only smile when he ignored her. She would laugh when he said something sarcastic towards her. Even through all these misgiving on his part, she never lost her patience with him.

He could still hear her soft voice filled with laughter and love. "_Your sensei considers you family Kakashi-kun, and I trust his judgment. I have to agree that you are a very special young man._"

Where Kushina-san was gentle and open, Motoharu was cold and distant. They both had the same long straight black hair, same pale skin and piercing gray eyes. But that was where their similarities ended. When Motoharu came to see Kushina, there was some doubt in Motoharu's mind that his sister was making a mistake. Through countless arguments and angry words, he finally accepted his sister's love for the Hokage of Konoha.

Kakashi tried not to flinch when he was pulled out of his thoughts when the Hokage called his name.

"If you happen to meet our guest around the village, please inform Motoharu that I wish to speak with him tomorrow."

Kakashi only nodded his head before bowing in respect. Turning to leave, he pulled out his orange book as he sighed. "I'll be going ahead to complete those reports I owe you Hokage-sama."

From the side of Kakashi's profile, the Hokage could see the faint smile on the shinobi's face as he continued to read his book. Sarutobi shook his head when he heard the giggling before Kakashi left all together.

…………………………………………

Naruto assured his uncle that he would be careful in exploring the village before leaving their quarters at the inn. He kindly suggested that his uncle take the opportunity to find a bathing house and try to relax. All he got for his trouble was a blank stare and a slight nod for him to come back later for dinner.

Naruto assessed his appearance; inbred behavior always urged him to look presentable and decent. Especially in this particular village, this was his father's home, and as the Fourth Hokage's son he had to look at least well-dressed. Even though he knew that no one knew of his identity, he still wanted to honor his father in this small action. His white haori was pure silk with an intricate red design of a dragon curled around his left sleeve. His inner kimono was an ebony color that matched his full-length hakama. Like his Ojiisan Shigeru taught him, he let his hair down from the topknot, braided the sides, and then pinned them at the back of his head to keep the hair from his face. Knowing that weapons would pose questions, he only secured his tessons within his haori.

Double checking his appearance, he nodded in satisfaction at the result. He reassured his silent uncle that he would be appearing for dinner before departing. With his back turned to Motoharu, he did not see the slight surprise in his uncle's eyes; for in the exception of his waist length hair, Naruto was a miniature version of Namikaze Minato.

Naruto was walking for about an hour through the crowded streets when he started to feel agitated by the constant stares of passersby. He knew the history behind this village, and he knew that if these people had even the slightest inkling of what he was, hell would break loose. But he guessed that they weren't looking at him for that reason. He turned down a street corner and sighed with relief when he saw a decrease of buildings and a vast area of trees a few meters away. As he got closer to the area, he realized that maybe it was a specialized area for ninja training.

His excitement manifested into a small smirk before he slowly walked towards the trees. Silently, he reached out a hand and placed it upon the bark of the nearest tree. He was content to hear the soft joyous voices of the trees speaking to him.

His connection was severed when he heard someone nearby, and from the sounds he heard, that person was training. His curiosity getting the better of him, he walked through the foliage and into a clearing. Naruto stopped in his tracks when he saw a green clad boy punching a log with serious determination. He must have made a sound, for the boy stopped and turned to him, his face curious as to the one who interrupted his training. Naruto was rendered speechless as he took in the green skin-tight jumpsuit, the dark bowl-shaped haircut, big round eyes and dark thick eyebrows. From the signature sign of Konoha wrapped around the boy's waist, Naruto concluded that he was a shinobi of genin rank.

He had no time to apologize for his disruption before the genin greeted him with a smile, "Hello, I'm Rock Lee." Lee cocked his head to the side and observed the visitor. "Are you new to Konoha? I've never seen you in the village before."

Naruto bowed in greeting, "Hello, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. And yes, I just arrived, today in fact. I was looking around the village when I stumbled upon the training grounds. I'm sorry if I disturbed you." Naruto smiled in apology.

Lee shook his head, "That's all right. I was going to stop for the day any way. I just lost track of the time."

Seeing the blood on Lee's cut knuckles, Naruto moved forward and motioned to the other boy's hands. "Do you want me to help you with your injuries?"

Lee stared at his hands for a moment before smiling at the blonde. "I'll take care of it when I get home later." His reassurance was waved away when Naruto took his hands and gently started mending it with a medic jutsu. "No need to wait until you're home, I'd be happy to help." Naruto smiled when Lee inspected the healed skin with awe.

Lee's eyes sparkled as he struck a pose for Naruto, his teeth twinkling as he grinned. "That was beautiful Naruto-kun. The spring time of youth is strong within you!"

Naruto stepped back in slight alarm at the display. He quickly recovered from his shock and smirked at the other boy. "You're always very…loud, aren't you?" He took pleasure in the sight of the other boy smiling sheepishly at him with a small blush blooming on his cheeks in embarrassment. "It's alright Lee-san, it's refreshing to meet such a happy and determined person."

Lee grinned in acceptance at the compliment. He looked around briefly before he grabbed his water bottle. "Do you want to walk back to the village with me? It would be nice to chat with someone new to town." Lee smiled happily when Naruto nodded his consent.

"Yosh! I'll show you all the great sights of Konoha!"

Naruto's mouth twitched at the corner, his eyes sparkling with amusement and mischief.

While they walked Lee took the time to observe his companion. He immediately saw the quiet way the boy spoke and acted and was reminded of someone he knew and yet this was vastly different from that person. There was no arrogance, just a graceful and intelligent air about him. Lee was shocked when he first saw Naruto, for a moment he thought the slender boy was a girl. From the soft blonde hair and slender form, Lee could see the misconception. But from the way he was dressed and the minor cracking tenor signaling upcoming adulthood, Lee was positive that Naruto was indeed a boy.

The boy carried no forehead protector and no weapon, so Lee concluded that the boy was either still an academy student or merely just a civilian. He seriously doubted the latter from the way the boy carried himself. He was sure that boy was more than he seemed, especially after using jutsu to heal his hands.

It seemed during their walk they stirred off course towards another area that Lee recognized instantly as neutral training grounds for all. He was surprised to see that it was being occupied by none other than his own teammates. It was just past noon and usually after a hard mission like the one they completed yesterday, Gai-sensei would give them the next day to rest.

Lee was shocked to see both his teammates there as well as a few others that he assumed were still academy students. He instantly recognized Uchiha Sasuke's brooding figure as he glared at Lee's teammate, Hyuuga Neji. And to the sidelines was his other teammate Tenten and Uchiha's fanclub: Ino and Sakura. He quickly summarized from the intense atmosphere that Sasuke and Neji were close to battling it out.

Lee knew that Neji was usually cool about confrontation no matter who started it. But the animosity between Sasuke and Neji was never cleared nor controlled. So it was very unpredictable. Lee nervously turned to his companion to suggest that he wait while Lee tried to break up the fight, but Naruto's attention was focused on the group in front of him. Lee could see Naruto's face loose all expression as he tilted his head in their direction.

Lee sighed before nodding and moving with Naruto towards the group. Seeing that Neji and Sasuke were pointedly ignoring the calls of warning from the girls, Lee hurried over. "Neji! My eternal rival, you are not supposed to fight with academy students!"

From the corner of Naruto's eye, he could see the girl with pink hair grit her teeth at Lee's comment. The blond standing next to her was shaking her fist at Lee, while the quiet girl with her hair in buns at the sides of her head was watching in silent apprehension. The two feuding boys were no exception; Naruto observed both and had to bite back a smirk when they turned to glare at Lee. It seemed his new friend was warranting unwanted tension.

It only seemed logical to try and dissolve any conflict. Naruto noted with interest that even if both boys were ebony haired youth, they differed in everything else. One of the boys had a strange haircut that almost rivaled Lee's. He had to keep from showing his amusement when he instantly thought of a parakeet. The parakeet haired boy wore a blue shirt with white shorts. The back of his blue shirt sported a fan of red and white that Naruto assumed was his clan's symbol. From a distance, Naruto could see the black eyes piercing into Lee for interrupting.

The other boy was calmer, only his pale silver eyes showed his displeasure. Naruto noted the eyes held no pupils, just a slight outline of where one should be. He had long black hair tied at the end. He wore a dark gray shirt with a high collar and dark shorts. Unlike the other boy, he wore a forehead protector similar to Lee's. The way he held himself was true arrogance. Naruto realized that if he tried he could maybe match expressions with the long-haired boy. But the arrogance and condescension he saw in those eyes was rather disturbing.

Naruto stepped forward and gently placed a hand on Lee's elbow, halting his steps. He decided to play this out carefully. He made sure that no emotion was expressed on his face before he spoke. "Lee-san, are these people your friends?" He felt all eyes shift to him in surprise at his appearance at Lee's side. He ignored them and kept his attention on Lee for the moment. Feigning his indifference to them was easy as he met Lee's curious gaze. Silently, he tried to make Lee understand his cause. He almost smiled when he saw Lee grin before grabbing his arm that was still on his elbow and pulling him along.

"Everyone…this is my new friend." Lee beamed at them before motioning to each and introducing them. Pointing to the girl with the hair buns, Lee beckoned her to come. "That's Tenten, my teammate." The other girls trailed behind in curiosity. Lee's eyes started to sparkle when they landed on the pink haired girl. "That is Sakura-kun." Naruto watched the girl in question grit her teeth as her eyes twitched.

The blond girl cocked her head to the side and hesitated, "Hi. I'm Ino. Are you Lee-san's girlfriend?" Naruto could faintly feel Lee gawk at the blond in shock. Naruto had experienced this so many times that he was no longer astonished by the misconception. Lee had no time to answer when the boy with the dark eyes snorted. Lee shook his head from his stupor and continued with his introductions. "This is Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto turned his attention to the boy and inclined his head in greeting.

Lee grinned at Naruto's quiet countenance in the face of curiosity and almost hostile environment. He turned to the last person and struck his pose. "And this is my other teammate and eternal rival, Hyuuga Neji!"

Naruto met the silver gaze and raised an eyebrow at the suspicious glare. He felt the sudden urge to fidget under that gaze. But he squashed it quickly before he nodded his head at Lee. "It seems that you really are loud." He made sure his mirth reflected in his blue eyes for Lee to see.

Lee nodded even as he blushed in embarrassment. He blinked in surprise when he realized that he never informed the group of who Naruto was. He waved his hand gently at Naruto as he addressed everyone else. "This is Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto tried not to frown when he saw the boy named Sasuke narrow his gaze at him. He sighed softly, realizing he was wasting time here. Clearly, the tense situation had dissolved and Naruto was aching to leave this place and find somewhere quiet to mediate and connect with nature.

"Lee-san, I think I can find my way back. I've taken more than enough of your time. I hope to see you around."

Naruto bowed to all in farewell before he turned to leave. He did not get far when a kunai pierced the ground a few inches away from his feet. He heard a gasp as he calmly kneeled down and plucked the kunai from the ground and turned toward the group. He stared right into Sasuke's dark gaze, which was filled with suspicion and repressed anger. "That was rather rude Uzumaki Naruto; leaving without making a good enough excuse. Is that how they taught you to treat people in your household?"

Naruto ignored the harsh question as he calmly walked back and presented the kunai to Sasuke. "I believe this is yours?"

Sasuke met his blue gaze with fury, but managed to contain it as he grabbed the kunai and scowled at him. "Why did I bother? I don't care how rude you are, that's obviously a character flaw in all girls. And you're no different."

Naruto saw Lee about to protest on his behalf but he shook his head at Lee to be quiet. It seemed that there were two arrogant boys here today. /No wonder they don't get along./ Naruto could clearly see the distress in Sakura's eyes. He was baffled at how she continued to fawn over a boy that seemed not to care about her at all. On the other hand, Ino and Tenten were both in degrees of being irritated and offended by the remark.

Making his decision, Naruto turned his full attention to Sasuke. He would be lucky if his uncle did not hear about him starting fights, but Naruto couldn't help it. He had an annoyingly soft spot for girls in misery, courtesy of constant training from Haruka-sama on proper behavior and respect towards the female population. Mito was no exception; though her _education_ was more brutal. There would be a fierce dodging of shuriken and other weapons if he so much as offended the woman.

"I might be reaching, but it seems as if I have offended you in some way. Do you have a problem with me Uchiha-san?" Naruto let a certain coldness fill his voice as he stared at Sasuke.

Sasuke met his gaze head on. He smirked when he realized that he might have ruffled the girl's stoic attitude. "Yes. Rude as you are, you are too damn calm. I don't like liars, and you Uzumaki Naruto are the worst sort. Being a fake as well as being weak." Sasuke was mildly curious at to what the girl would do. He frowned in confusion when the girl nodded before turning to everyone else.

Naruto met Lee's gaze and smiled briefly. Seeing the clear anxiety in those eyes made Naruto feel at ease in the fact that he did indeed make a friend in Lee. "It seems that I have to fight to preserve my honor." The way he said it was underlying a hint of sarcasm and good humor.

Naruto briefly met Neji's gaze and blinked at the blank stare. He could see Neji silently observing him before the other boy scoffed in dismissal and walked away to give them room to fight. From the way the Hyuuga dismissed him, Naruto assumed that Neji didn't see him as much of a problem. Neji at least agreed with Sasuke on that subject, Naruto concluded. Clearly both boys thought very little of him, but he just shrugged his shoulders before turning back to Sasuke. /One arrogant ass at a time./ He was glad that Lee had made the protesting ladies move to the sidelines.

"Alright…show me how much of a fake I am Sasuke-san."

Sasuke smirked as he took out three shuriken and threw them at the blonde. He made sure not to put too much power into his throw; he didn't want to hurt the girl more than necessary. He frowned when the girl dodged his attack and cocked her head at him as if daring him. He sneered at the girl before he threw two more shuriken with a little more force. Again the girl dodged easily.

"I hope that is not all Sasuke-san." Her voice was mocking and her smirk teased him relentlessly.

He scowled as he pulled out a kunai and threw it at her with all his force. He had a moment of panic when he realized that in his anger, he was going to hurt a defenseless girl. It was short lived though as he watched as the kunai was parried away from the girl's chest by a short steel rod that she withdrew from within the folds of her clothes. The sound of the weapons meeting was heard through the clearing. Metal against metal.

Naruto kept his weapon at his side as he scrutinized the other boy. "Are you going to take me seriously now?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blonde as he pulled another kunai from his holster and ran at the girl. He was going to teach the girl not to mock him. Just as he aimed to strike, the girl's unarmed hand moved forward and grasped his wrist to stop his momentum. /Fast/ That was Sasuke's only thought before the girl rapped her steel weapon against his forehead.

He gritted his teeth and tried to focus. He used the girl's momentary distraction in repeatedly tapping his forehead to his advantage. He brought his unrestrained hand up to deflect the weapon at the same he brought his knee into the girl's stomach. But neither connected as she released his wrist and sidestepped the blow to her midsection. She seemed to dance gracefully around him as she finally revealed what her steel weapon truly was. With a flick of her wrist, the steel fan opened. But before Sasuke could blink, the fan was in motion as she ran the edge across his forearm. He hissed at the pain that bloomed from the cut. He ignored it as he pulled another kunai out and charged with one in each hand.

He swiped with his left kunai and kicked out when she dodged beneath the attack. She saw the leg coming and swiped her right fan across his shin before elbowing the leg away from her body. Right after that attack, she closed her fan as she used the blunt end to hit him in his unprotected abdomen. The force of the blow made Sasuke drop his kunai and clenched his fist against his injury. Meanwhile, as she moved through the motions, her other hand had withdrawn the left fan.

Sasuke had leaned forward at the blow to his stomach but seeing the left fan coming at his face, he brought his right kunai down to strike. The girl turned her fan, displaying the designs on the steel to Sasuke before the kunai pierced through the thin spaces that connected the weapon together. She quickly snapped the fan closed, easily trapping his kunai before she twisted her weapon and the kunai so quickly from his grasp that he winced at the momentum that probably sprained his wrist. That moment of pain was all she needed to finish it as she brought her right fan to his neck and pressed lightly at his vulnerable skin.

"The match…is mine, Sasuke-san."

Sasuke stilled as he stared at the girl in disbelief. His shock was so great that he forgot about his frustration and anger. The girl was so fast. He wasn't able to hit her once. He stared into her blue eyes in wonder, but before he could speak she withdrew from him and gently offered him back his kunai. Ignoring the throbbing pain of his injury, he glanced at the kunai and with slow reactions he raised his hand to take the weapon when Lee's voice pierced his fogged mind.

Lee and the girls were watching the match with wonder and some horror as Naruto beat Sasuke at each of his moves. Lee was impressed as he watched the sluggish attacks Sasuke delivered verses Naruto's graceful speed and accuracy.

Ino was more vocal in her praise. She whistled as Naruto placed the fan at Sasuke's neck. She was shocked to see such power in such a slender girl. "That girl is very good isn't she Lee-san?"

He made a point of looking at Ino as he said seriously, "You'll offend him with your remarks Ino-san. Naruto is my new friend and I don't think he'll appreciate being called a girl."

Ino, Sakura and Tenten all stared at Lee in shock. From the look on his face, he wasn't joking about what he just said. The silence that followed was very eerie as all the girls turned their attention to Sasuke's opponent and tried to see evidence of what Lee stated. From the long hair to the beautiful cloths, they could not see anything that confirmed or denied his claim.

Their protests died in their throats when Sasuke spoke, his voice full of surprise. "You're not a girl?"

………………………………….

Neji had been entranced by the display of power and grace in Naruto's fighting skills. He had his suspicions of the new comer when the fight started. Even though he first assumed that Sasuke would win against the other opponent, he did not predict Naruto to be a boy. He was surprised when Lee finally explained Naruto's true identity. But he did not activate his bloodline limit to confirm the fact; he could easily see it now. It was painfully obvious from the posture and lean build that he was more than what he first appeared. His elegant full clothing hid his musculature and deceived others into believing that his frame was slender like a girl's own physique.

He tried not to openly stare at Naruto as he walked towards the group. The blonde may have skills but Neji was doubtful he would have a chance against him if they fought. He had no time to analyze anything else before Sasuke broke the silence. "You're not a girl?"

Neji watched Naruto raise a fine blonde brow in question at the inquiry. He could not clearly see his eyes from the side profile, but Neji could guess what emotion was flowing through those blue eyes. No matter how much the cool and distant behavior fooled the others, Neji could see the brief glimpses of amusement in the blonde's demeanor.

"I never said I was a girl. You _assumed_ that I was."

Not waiting for a reply, Naruto continued. "And even if I was one, would that factor have made a difference? Boy or girl, the outcome would be the same, don't you think?"

Neji studied the exchange with hidden interest. He could see from Sasuke's twitching eye that he did not appreciate Naruto's humor. Even if he was fooled like everyone else was by Naruto's identity, Neji did not feel any resentment, only curiosity. Such a deceptive image; making others feel secure in their own skills before destroying the illusion quickly and efficiently. The blonde was right to an extent; he did not clarify his gender and nothing in his attire would merit being labeled as a girl. They all assumed that because of his soft and innocent looking features, Naruto was indeed a member of the fairer sex. Even his voice was not high pitched like all the girls, but perhaps they overlooked that when they were first introduced to someone so different.

Neji suddenly had the urge to test the new boy's true ability. Something in his chest tightened when he thought of the thrill it would bring him to fight someone so strong.

…………………………………………

Naruto watched Sasuke coolly as he tried to string words together. And from the looks on the others' faces this was not a frequent event. He cocked his head to the side and watched the display of emotion move swiftly across Sasuke's face. He dared not speak; he had a feeling that Sasuke wasn't finished with his questions. He did not have to wait long.

"You…who are you?"

Naruto stared at Sasuke for a minute before he responded, "Lee-san already introduced me. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, I'm just visiting this village." He tried not to give them too much information about himself. He was always uncomfortable when people knew too much about him, he felt exposed and vulnerable. He didn't particularly like that feeling.

Watching the boy intently, Naruto frowned when he spotted the blood trickling down the other boy's forearm. "You should do something about that arm." The obvious concern in his quiet voice went unheeded by Sasuke.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" The harshness in Sasuke's voice was strong and grating. Naruto had a feeling that Sasuke was familiar with using intimidation as a ways to get what he wanted. He wasn't naïve nor stupid enough to cower in front of an arrogant snob. He tried not to let his irritation show as he shrugged indifferently to the question.

"Around."

Sasuke's face started to grow red with his impatience and anger. But Naruto did not give him time to reply as he cleared his throat.

"I would stay and answer all your questions, but I do have things to do Sasuke-san." His voice held a certain amount of dismissal and impatience.

Sasuke glared at him as he gritted his teeth. Clearly seeing that nothing he did was affecting the other boy, Sasuke turned and left the clearing. He did not stop even when he heard the persistent voices of his fan club calling out to him as they followed him.

Naruto turned away from that scene to eye the people left behind. Lee and Tenten were still watching the departed group. Lee-san had a dreamy look in his dark eyes as he watched the pink haired girl move away. Tenten just rolled her eyes at the display of the two girls.

Naruto felt the strong pull from his right. He turned slowly and saw the other boy, Neji, studying him coolly. His pale eyes were focused on his features with such a fierce intensity that Naruto's stoic mask almost faltered. He was unnerved by the intense scrutiny. Unlike Sasuke, Neji's eyes held no anger or impatience; there was no emotion.

Naruto quietly stared back, making sure that the other boy did not see his unease. He almost scoffed at the arrogant air that surrounded Neji; /_How could people in this village stand such pompous children?_/

TBC………


	3. New Friendships

Note: This chapter is still being edited, and will be reposted later on, I just wanted to post this as a thank you to all the readers and reviewers. I haven't forgotten the stories and I am still on it.

Chapter 3

The moment Naruto left their little inn room to explore the village  
of his birth, Motoharu secured their possession before leaving as  
well and making his way back to the Hokage tower. He had witnessed  
the wistful look in the old hokage's eyes when he met Naruto earlier  
that day. He was positive that the hokage will ask questions that  
would make Naruto uncomfortable at the scrutiny. It was easier this  
way, to freely assure the old man that Naruto was here.

In Konoha.

Here to stay.

Motoharu shook the brief hesitation and pang within his chest at the  
thought. It was Naruto's choice how he lived his life. He could not  
choose for him. But he will prepare his nephew before that time came  
when he had to say goodbye.

The dark haired man scowled at his melancholy thoughts, One thing  
at a time.' He did not even bother with using the normal means into  
getting to the Hokage's office. He leapt onto the near building  
ledge before he launched himself towards the window of Sarutobi's  
office.

From the second tensing of the old man shoulders Motoharu knew he  
was expected. He did not hesitate to walk around and occupy the  
chair he sat in earlier that day. He patiently waited for the older  
man to speak. As he waited, he glanced around the room to find to  
his hidden amusement that nothing had changed in the room since he  
last he saw it eleven years ago. Except now, there was a picture of  
the Yondaime on the wall next to Sarutobi's.

He was still studying that face when the old man finally placed the  
last document away addressed him.

"He has grown so much."

Motoharu turned to the Hokage as he raised a dark brow at the  
wistful tone. He kept quiet, knowing from the look in the older  
man's eyes that he had so many questions.

"He has very…old eyes Motoharu. You did not come here from your  
village did you?"

Motoharu cleared his throat, it was a valid question but he could  
not help but feel defensive of how he raised Naruto for the last  
seven years after leaving their village. He felt that he should not  
have minced words or actions from his nephew. He wanted to prepare  
him for what he might face when he was on his own. Motoharu knew  
that he would not always be there.

So he covered everything he knew his nephew would need or come up in  
question in the future. He wasn't about to let Konoha's leader  
question his methods.

He met those wise eyes with arrogance and defiance. "Naruto was  
taught by the best within each village he visited. He procured  
allies that not even their leader's could do. No one can question  
his skills both professionally and personally. Do not sit there and  
question how I raised him when you could not even do something as  
simple as protect him those years ago."

Both men were surprised at the outburst. Motoharu silently cursed at  
his momentary lapse in control. He let his own fears concerning  
Naruto amplify, that only a simple observation from the Hokage  
brought everything out.

The silence lasted for a moment before Sarutobi cleared his throat  
to grab the young man's attention. He smiled sadly at Motoharu, "I  
realized how tactless that sounded and I apologize for that. I  
regret…"

"I regret many things about what happened that day. And I will live  
with those faults until my dying day. I am if nothing else happy to  
see what a fine young man he has turned out to be. I do not question  
your ability as his guardian or sensei."

He watched Motoharu nodded his head in understanding at the  
sentiment as the silence washed over them again. He took that time  
to light his pipe, he relaxed marginally as he puffed at it  
leisurely. He saw no use trying to make small talk with the serious  
younger man. It appeared that Motoharu had answers to his questions;  
he just had to ask the right ones.

"Have you brought him back to stay or will I be saying goodbye to  
the child again?" Sarutobi's voice was quiet as he watched his guest  
stare blankly at him.

Motoharu smirked, his eyes sparked at the menacing thoughts that  
flew within his head. "That decision will be up to my nephew. He is  
not bound to this village, since no one here knows of his existence  
but a certain few; he can leave it as he pleases."

Motoharu could see the objection arising, he continued without  
pause. "It was his father's wish that he learn about his Namikaze  
family. I am fulfilling a dying wish. If after Naruto has obtained  
what his father has left him and he wishes to leave, neither you nor  
your village has the right to stop him."

Sarutobi was not surprised at the revelation; he remained silent as  
he observed the unflinching shinobi, meeting his gaze without  
hesitation or fear. He had to admire the gull of this young man to  
come into his village and speak to him this way. He was impressed,  
but also irritated. He did not show either emotion.

"You make a good point Motoharu. Naruto may have that choice, but I  
am the leader of this village and it is my job to protect this  
village and everyone and…..everything in it."

Motoharu narrowed his eyes when the clear emphasis was placed on the  
last words were given. He sat stiffly in his chair and waited for  
the Hokage to continue.

"All of Namikaze Minato's possession is kept under my control. I  
have kept watch over it, waiting for its owner to come claim them.  
To prove that he is a Namikaze, he can not just leave."

Motoharu almost scoff at the threat, for they both knew that when  
Naruto turned 18, everything would be handed over to him, the  
properties, money and resposiblities. But still, Sarutobi might use  
the Namikaze scolls as leverage for Naruto to stay in Konoha.

He wouldn't put it passed the old man to pull such a stunt. A leader  
of a hidden village must take measures to ensure the safety of his  
people. He was tempted to just stand and leave this miserable place.  
But Naruto needed to be….at least for a little while. Until he knew  
what he wants, Motoharu would stay with the boy. He would be damn if  
he left his nephew here to be pawed upon by Konoha's council and  
their leader.

Naruto was still his ward and until he thinks that his nephew is  
ready to strike out on his own, he will continue to watch out for  
him. He may be mature for his age, but in so many ways, he is still  
a child.'

"You're holding my brother-in-law's property as leverage. You must  
be very clever or….. desperate. I'm thinking the latter."

The older man softly chuckled as if Motoharu made a joke. The dark  
haired man was not amused. He did not have time to comment as  
Sarutobi waved his hand in dismissal at the arising question in  
those grey eyes.

"That subject is for another time. Rest assured that I will be glad  
to provide Naruto with everything that belonged to his father at the  
time of his eighteenth birthday. All I ask is that you let Naruto  
open his heart to the village that his father so loved. The very  
village that he sacrifice his life to protect."

Motoharu did not contain his fury at that comment. The tightening  
around his mouth and narrowed glint within his eyes gave away the  
anger he felt. He gritted his teeth before replying in a soft but  
dangerous voice. "You mean the village that demanded the blood of an  
innocent baby. Are you speaking of the same village which in  
ignorance tried to dishonor Minato's last wish?"

"…." The sadness and shame that fell across the Hokage's face was so  
genuinely sincere that Motoharu halted his tirade. He nodded his  
head when he met that old gaze again. Sarutobi sighed as he leaned  
back in his chair, he contemplated that all was forgiven on both  
parts and the momentary pause here was for both to compose  
themselves before changing the subject.

Sarutobi cleared his throat, "Tell me of Naruto's travel."

Motoharu accepted the attempt to smooth the edges of the argument;  
he paused for a second to collect his thoughts and wondered where to  
start. Start from the beginning.'

Naruto smiled at Lee when he tried to keep him entertained so he  
didn't leave. "Naruto-kun, you may not be a shinobi but your flames  
of youth are strong and bright!!"

The older boy started dancing about trying to reenact the fight that  
took place moments before. Naruto's ears were still ringing from  
Lee's exclamation but just chuckled with amusement. "Lee-san, I  
really have to go. My uncle will be wondering where I am. And it's -  
" the sound of his stomach growling made everyone in the clearing  
stop to stare at the blond haired boy. Two brushes of pink appeared  
on Naruto's cheeks as he bit his bottom lip embarrassedly. "I guess  
I was hungrier than I thought."

Ten-ten giggled while Neji just watched the whole scene with barely  
concealed curiosity. He wanted to know more about this boy, but he  
wasn't about to let them know that he was more intrigued than he let  
on. He will just have to follow the boy after everyone parted ways.

Lee nodded his head in understanding. "I am sorry Naruto-kun, you  
should go home to eat and bring out more bouts of youth. Allow me to  
escort you home." Naruto did not have time to accept or reject it  
before Ten-ten interjected. "Lee, Naruto isn't some simple girl that  
needs you to-" She broke off when Lee jumped five feet away from  
Naruto with his face all flushed red. Naruto smiled at them all.  
They were all very amusing, but he wasn't going to stay around so  
his stomach can start singing again.

"Actually Lee-san I would appreciate it if you did walk me back to  
the inn. I don't remember my way. And I don't want to keep my Uncle  
waiting too long…or my stomach." He smiled charmingly at Ten-ten  
which made the girl blush. "It was a pleasure to meet you Ten-ten,  
perhaps we'll see eachother again in the future?" Ten-ten smiled  
shyly at Naruto.

"I would love that Naruto-san, maybe you could show me those moves  
with the tessen. I have never taken that kind of weapon as a means.  
I guess I underestimated a lot of things. I apologize." Naruto  
understood what she meant, she had dismissed him at first glance,  
but he smiled and nodded at her before turning to Lee.

"Shall we Lee-san?"

Lee smiled brightly before both he and Naruto turned to Neji, "I  
will see both you and Ten-ten tomorrow for our next mission than  
Neji-san?" The Hyuuga had no time to answer; Naruto stepped forward  
and grasped Neji's hand. Neji was too surprised to pull away from  
the touch.

"I hope I see you again Hyuuga-san. I want to know the products you  
use to make your hair so…pretty." Naruto fluttered his lashes  
dreamily as he eyed the boy's long dark hair. He tried not to burst  
out laughing when Neji pulled away from his grasp in mild discomfort  
and a hint of fury and embarrassment. At least I got a reaction out  
of him. I think my work here is done.'

Naruto turned away and left the clearing. Lee opened his mouth to  
say something but shook his head to clear the fog before jogging  
after the retreating form of his new friend. Ten-ten was left with  
her mouth hung open in surprise. "Shut your mouth Ten-ten, you'll  
catch flies."

Neji tried not to snap at his female teammate, but he was till  
furious at his humiliation. He should have seen that coming when the  
blonde showed no hesitation in embarrassing Uchiha. He won't be  
caught of guard next time.

Without waiting for a reply from Ten-ten, Neji made his way home. He  
had training to do before Hinata-sama came home and his duty to tail  
the Hyuuga heir. Surprisingly, Neji's fury was not directed at the  
Hyuuga main family as usual, but at a certain blonde haired boy. He  
will have to investigate the boy another time when Lee is not with  
him.

"My Uncle seems to have disappeared somewhere. Do you know any place  
I could find some takeout. I think my uncle will be hungry when he  
gets back."

Lee did not waste time in taking his new friend to a restaurant just  
down the street from the Inn. Naruto purchase some food and tried to  
invite Lee to eat with them when his Uncle did arrived, but Lee  
politely declined. "I am honored Naruto-kun, but I will leave you  
today. You must be tired and I can always visit you tomorrow."

Naruto smiled in acknowledgement. "I will see you tomorrow then Lee-  
san. And thank you for showing me around."

Not long after Lee left, Motoharu arrived with two containers of  
food in his hand. He raised his eyebrow in question when he saw his  
nephew sitting at the table with food spread out. Naruto smiled in  
amusement at his uncle.

"Great! More food, can't wait to try everything!"

"How were your first sights of Konoha?" Naruto swallowed his noodles  
before he spoke. He frowned at the first encounters he had  
today. "Interesting. I met some people my own age. Already ninja or  
in training, they were very…close minded. Except for Lee-san. He was  
very funny and happy…..but other than him….Well…..It was a little  
depressing to see the people that I will be associating with are so  
artificial."

Motoharu nodded thoughtfully. His grey eyes met Naruto's curious  
blue eyes. "I guess you have to show them that not everything is  
what it seems."

They both fell into a comfortable silence, both occupied with their  
own thoughts. "It seems that Sarutobi wants you to stay in Konoha  
for a while. I did not inform him that we already decided to stay so  
you can get to know more about Konoha. I wanted to see the lengths  
the old man will go to ensure you stay."

Naruto tilted his head in contemplation. They had agreed that no one  
must know about his lineage to Konoha, and they were going to use  
the Hokage's promise to his father to receive the things that  
belonged to him. All should be done without violence or threats…of  
course. It seemed that the Hokage was willing to work with them.

"He has your father's possession; he has agreed to give them to you  
when he feels you are ready."

Naruto sighed as he finally understood what his uncle was trying to  
say. "When I'm ready, meaning that he needs to be assured that I  
will not be using any of my father's influence or powers against  
Konoha." It was not a question, so he did not receive an answer.

"I won't be proving something to the Hokage only, I will show this  
entire village what a mistake it was to shun something they could  
never understand." Naruto smirked at his uncle. It was full of  
determination and mischief. "And I will do it with style."

Neji watched discreetly as Naruto sat in the clearing with a little  
white puppy in his lap. He was talking quietly with the puppy as if  
he could really understand the animal.

For the past three weeks Neji has been following the blonde hair boy  
on his free time. There was something about the boy that rubbed him  
the wrong way. Naruto was friendly and warm towards the people he  
meets, but there was a hint of caution in his stance that betrayed  
him when he met a ninja or government official. He kept himself  
aloof when he was questioned about his past.

Neji was frustrated that out of all the time he spent observing the  
blonde, he did not see him train or show any signs of extraordinary  
exploits. He seemed like an average villager. But that was where the  
problem lay. There was nothing simple or average about Naruto. After  
he saw the spar..or fight it should be said…between Naruto and the  
Uchiha, he was convinced that the blonde was hiding many things.

And a mystery was always meant to be solved. I don't want to be  
caught off guard again.' Neji refused to acknowledge the hint of  
bitterness in his thoughts. He was beyond such petty feelings of  
adolescence. He was better than a blonde haired boy, and he will  
prove it.

He turned back to the scene in front of him to see the little white  
puppy start barking softly. Naruto laughed before he nodded as he  
released the dog and stood graceful from his seat under the tree.  
The dog started off and Naruto followed him. Neji not far behind.

TBC…

Thanks for reading and I hope everyone reviews


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